What is supersedure and why it happens
Bees have a remarkable and complex social structure. One of the most fascinating behaviors in a honeybee colony is supersedure—the process by which worker bees raise a new queen to replace the current one. This isn’t a random act of rebellion but a coordinated response that helps ensure the colony’s long-term survival, especially when the queen’s health or egg-laying capacity wanes.
Supersedure begins when thousands of worker bees sense that the queen is no longer producing enough eggs. The queen’s productivity is a vital signal for the colony. If her egg-laying slows, the workers interpret this as a potential threat to future worker populations and honey harvests. In response, they start the complex task of rearing a new queen while the old queen remains in place.
How workers raise a new queen
Raising a new queen is an orchestrated effort. Worker bees select several young larvae with the right genetics and feed them an exclusive diet of royal jelly. This special nourishment triggers physical and developmental changes that transform the larva into a queen, capable of laying eggs in the future. The process is meticulous: multiple queen cells are often started, giving the colony options and increasing the chance of a successful replacement.
The new queen typically takes her place after the old queen’s reign ends, whether by aging out or being displaced. The timing can vary, but the essential goal remains the same: to ensure the colony continues to reproduce, raise workers, and store honey for tough times ahead.
Supersedure vs. swarming: what’s the difference?
Colony dynamics include multiple pathways for renewal, including supersedure and swarming. Supersedure is a controlled replacement of a queen, usually without the colony leaving the hive. In contrast, swarming involves a large portion of the population, including the old queen, departing to form a new colony. Swarming is often a response to overcrowding, lack of resources, or a strong spring brood surge. Both processes reflect the colony’s need to optimize survival, but supersedure is more about continuity within a single hive.
Why supersedure is beneficial for the colony
Supersedure helps maintain genetic diversity and colony vigor. A new queen may be better suited to current environmental conditions or disease pressures, and her offspring can bring improved traits that support resilience. Additionally, sourcing a new queen from within the same colony minimizes disruption and preserves established hive chemistry, including pheromone balances that govern foraging, brood care, and drone production.
Common myths and signs to watch
Beekeepers and enthusiasts often watch for royal cells growing in the hive as a cue that supersedure is underway. However, not every royal cell guarantees a successful replacement—several factors, including queen acceptance by workers and the new queen’s health, influence the outcome. A telltale sign of queen replacement can be a brief lack of consistent brood pattern, followed by renewed laying activity once a new queen asserts herself.
Conclusion: a self-regulating system
In the world of honeybees, supersedure is a striking example of social cooperation. Thousands of workers collectively safeguard the colony’s future by replacing a ailing queen with a potentially more capable successor. This natural mechanism underscores the adaptive intelligence of bees and their ability to balance loyalty to the old queen with the imperative of survival and thriving honey production.
