Her majesty the queen is the heartbeat of a honey bee colony. Without her presence, the hive cannot survive for long. Workers and drones die every day, given their short lifecycles. She replenishes the populations by laying thousands of eggs to maintain a strong colony.  She also releases mandibular pheromones that influence social behavior and inhibits ovary development in worker bees. It is the beekeeper’s responsibility to ensure the queen in a colony is productive by checking the brood patterns. While bees also replace an unproductive queen, at times, the process may fail, or they may take time to take action. A colony that remains queenless for 4-6 weeks can die off. 

Similar Articles you may like to read –
How many queen cells should you leave?
Why do beekeepers remove the queen?
Can a hive live without a queen? How can you tell a Queenless hive?
Can a queen bee hurt you? What happens if a queen bee stings you?

Do I have to buy a queen bee to start a beehive?

Buying a queen from queen breeders or beekeepers is one way to obtain a queen for your hive. However, if you have other colonies, you can provide a frame containing fresh eggs or brood to a queenless colony to raise a new queen.  Queens produced naturally in the colony are mostly accepted and tend to live longer. The colony may reject those introduced in a cage. Most beekeepers prefer mated queens as opposed to virgin queens since they come ready to lay eggs. A virgin queen will require to fly out of the new home to hook up with local drones. When looking for a queen bee to buy, you should choose the ones with desirable characteristics such as honey production, gentleness, disease and pest resistance, and hardiness in your climatic region. Always buy from a reputable buyer. 

How much does a queen bee cost?

The cost of a queen bee varies from one location to the other. Queens from certain breeding programs are pricier since they are produced and artificially inseminated with chosen drone semen. To get one, you may have to do away with hundreds of dollars. However, you can get a mated queen between $30-$50 from a reputable queen breeder. Such queens are mated in drone congregation areas by 10-20 drones. These are the kind of queens that most beekeepers buy. Too many variables are involved, and a good-quality queen is not guaranteed. Replacing an old or unreproductive queen is a worthwhile expense for optimum hive productivity.

Where can l purchase a queen bee?

Queens are usually available in the warm seasons(from spring to early fall). Bee supply companies will always have extra queens for sale in the warm seasons. You can also consider buying a queen online to be delivered to your doorstep. Some local bees also raise extra queens and sell them to other beekeepers in need. This is also a great way to obtain a queen, especially if they are reputable. 

More articles you may like to read –
What is the best color for bee boxes?
What is the best month to start beekeeping?
What are the easiest bees to take care of?
What is the best bee hive design?

How do l introduce my new queen to the colony?

You should always protect the new queen in a cage. This is a small box made mainly of wood and plastic. She usually travels with a few workers who feeds and cares for her until she is released to the colony. the queen stays in the cage for a few days until the bees get used to her pheromones and accept her. While in the cage, it is advisable to place a few drops of water on the screen of the cage so the workers can dissolve the fondant that closes one end of the cage. They usually use this as food. You should release the queen manually to the colony after three days if the workers have not managed to release her. Be sure to check the reactions of the new workers towards her. If they are aggressive towards you should return her to the cage.