DO I NEED TO REPLACE THE QUEEN? 

Many beekeepers replace the queen approximately every 2 years. There are many reasons to replace the queen including: 

• Queen failed and there is no queen present 
• Very few or no eggs and lack of young brood in the colony
• Queen has a poor laying pattern or “shotgun brood pattern”
• Prevent supercedure (bees replace the queen themselves) 
• Colony temperament or seeking more hygienic, disease resistant bees
• Making splits to increase apiary or avoid swarming
• Old queen, part of routine colony maintenance

If a colony is not thriving then replacing the queen may improve the condition of the colony. If you believe that your hive is diseased, it should be treated before replacing the queen. Some beekeepers replace the queen of overly defensive or aggressive colonies with a queen that has  a calmer disposition.