The short answer
A normal honey bee colony has one adult, mated, egg-laying queen (the honey bee queen covers her in detail). She is the mother of the colony’s workers and drones, and the rest of the colony is organized around her. There are some temporary exceptions, which are covered below, but a healthy hive does not usually keep several laying queens side by side.
Why a colony normally has one queen
The queen produces pheromones that workers spread through the hive. These signals help the colony recognize that it has a queen, and they discourage workers from raising replacement queens while she is doing her job. When the signal weakens, for example because the queen is aging, injured or missing, the workers may begin raising new queens.
Virgin queens that emerge at about the same time typically compete. In many cases they fight, or the first to emerge destroys the rival queen cells, until one queen remains.
When a hive can have more than one queen
There are a few situations where you may find more than one queen in a hive for a limited time.
- Supersedure. When workers replace a failing queen, a young daughter may begin laying while her mother is still in the hive. The two may overlap for a short period before the older queen disappears.
- Before swarming. A colony preparing to swarm builds swarm cells. The old queen leaves with part of the colony, and one or more virgin queens remain in the original hive. For a short time you may see queen cells and an unmated queen alongside a mated one.
- Emerging virgin queens. Several queens can hatch close together. Usually only one survives.
These cases are temporary. If you want to understand how the colony sorts out the replacement, see what happens when the queen bee leaves or dies.
Two-queen colonies in managed beekeeping
Some beekeepers deliberately run two-queen colonies, usually by separating two queens with a screen or divider so each has her own brood area while the workers share the space above. This is an advanced technique that takes extra equipment and careful management. It is not something a beginner needs to attempt, and it is different from a colony that has two queens by accident.
Queen, workers and drones
A colony contains three kinds of bees.
- Queen. One female whose main job is laying eggs.
- Workers. Many thousands of non-laying females that do the housekeeping, nursing, foraging and defense.
- Drones. Male bees whose main role is mating with queens from other colonies.
This is why the majority of bees in a hive are female (see the bee hive hierarchy): workers make up most of the population, and drones are relatively few. The queen and workers develop from fertilized eggs, and what differs is mainly the larval diet. For more on how queens differ from one another, see queen bee types and why they differ.
What if you see two queens
Seeing two queens in a hive is uncommon but it does happen. Common explanations are supersedure and a recent swarm or split. Before making any changes:
- Note whether one queen is marked and the other is not, since marking helps you tell them apart. See queen bee marking colors by year.
- Look for queen cells, eggs and young larvae to judge which queen is laying.
- Give the colony a little time and check again; in many cases the situation resolves itself.
What if there is no queen
If you cannot find a queen, that does not always mean the hive is queenless. Eggs and very young larvae are a good sign that a queen has been present very recently. If there are no eggs or young brood and the colony seems agitated or is producing queen cells, the hive may be queenless, and you may need to take action. The article on what happens when the queen leaves or dies explains the signs and your options.
Frequently asked questions
Is the queen the only female in the hive? No. Workers are also female. The difference is that the queen is the one with fully developed ovaries and is the usual egg layer.
How long does a queen live? Queens can live for several years, but many beekeepers replace them sooner because egg-laying performance can decline with age. Exact lifespans vary.
Can I add a second queen to a hive? Introducing a queen to a colony that already has one is generally unsuccessful, because the workers or the resident queen may reject or kill the newcomer. If you plan to requeen, the old queen is normally removed first.