What to look for
Spotting a queen takes practice, since she is surrounded by many similar-looking bees. A few cues, used together, work better than any single one.
Visual cues
- Longer abdomen. Her abdomen is typically more elongated and tapered, and often extends beyond the tips of her wings.
- Shorter-looking wings. Her wings cover only part of her abdomen, whereas a worker’s wings cover most of her body when folded.
- Thorax. The thorax can look smoother and shinier, with less fuzz, particularly in an older queen.
- Legs. Her legs may look longer and are not equipped with pollen baskets.
- Size. She is generally longer than a worker, though not always dramatically bigger.
Details on the body parts are in queen honey bee anatomy.
Behavior
A laying queen usually walks steadily over the comb, pausing to inspect cells and lay eggs. Workers around her often face her and groom or feed her, forming what is often called a court or retinue. She tends to keep moving rather than darting around, and is often calm unless disturbed. Some queens run away from light quickly when frames are lifted.
Where to look
- Start with frames that have fresh eggs or very young larvae, since she is usually nearby; the hive inspection checklist helps you work through each box in order.
- Work gently and keep frames over the hive body so she cannot be lost.
- Scan the frame edge and both faces before moving on.
- Check the first and last frames carefully, since she can slip onto the edge or onto the hive wall.
Marked queens
Many queens are sold with a dot of paint on the thorax (see queen marking colors by year). The international color code follows the last digit of the year: white for years ending in 1 or 6, yellow for 2 or 7, red for 3 or 8, green for 4 or 9, and blue for 5 or 0. Marked queens are easier to find, though marks can fade, and an unmarked queen may mean the colony replaced her.
If you cannot find her
Not seeing her does not prove a problem. Eggs standing upright at the bottom of cells (usually one per cell), a compact pattern of brood of mixed ages and a calm colony suggest a queen has been laying within the last few days. If you see none of that, ask an experienced beekeeper to look with you before taking action. See the job of the queen bee for what a missing queen can mean.
Handling and catching a queen
How do you catch a queen? Only do it if you need to, for example when marking or replacing her. Beginners often benefit from a mentor’s help. Hold her by the thorax or wing bases rather than the abdomen, and avoid squeezing. A queen cage or marking tube can help.
Common questions
How many queens are in a hive? Usually one (more in how many queens a hive can have). Brief exceptions occur during replacement, when a mother and daughter queen may coexist for a time.
Do queens sting? Yes, she has a stinger, but she rarely uses it on people; it is used mainly against rival queens.
Are queens and workers both female? Yes, see queen bee vs normal bee. For a broad overview, read the honey bee queen guide.