How to tell if a new queen was accepted

Requeening a hive is only half of the battle when it comes to getting a hive to accept a new queen! Ensuring she is accepted is critical. Remember to wait at least 5-7 days before checking back after installing a new queen. Also keep in mind that it can take a new queen 2-3 days after being released to begin laying eggs, and even then, she may only have eggs on 1 frame in the hive. 

Here are a few signs she WAS accepted:

1. The bees seem characteristically calm & unagitated. No uncharacteristic running, loud buzzing, unusual aggression, etc. 
2. The queen cage is empty
3. There are eggs in the hive (Read “Spotting Eggs & Larva”)
4. There are no queen cells being raised (Read queen cells vs queen cups)

Signs she WAS NOT accepted:

1. The bees are uncharacteristically running, loudly buzzing, and unusually aggressive. 
2. The queen is still in the cage, or dead in the cage. (If she is alive in the cage, poke a hole through the candy with a toothpick to help the bees release her)
3. There are no eggs or larva in the hive
4. There are multiple fresh queen cells with larva in them being raised

If she was not accepted, check out “What to do if your queen wasn’t accepted” for what to do next.