What Happens in the Hive When the Queen Dies?

The honey bee colony exhibits a unique order rarely seen in the world of living creatures. Tens of thousands of bees work together like a single organism; every individual performs its assigned duty flawlessly. This perfect structure is a creature specifically highlighted in the Holy Qur’an. Our Lord says in Surah An-Nahl (The Bee):

“And your Lord inspired the bee, saying: ‘Take for yourself dwellings in the mountains, and in the trees, and in what people construct. Then eat from all the fruits and enter the paths of your Lord made easy for you.’ From their bellies comes forth a drink of varying colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed, in that is a sign for a people who give thought.” (An-Nahl 68-69))

The inspiration given to the bee in these verses clearly reveals the perfect order in its life and the healing source of honey. All biological processes within the hive are, as it were, an application of this divine inspiration. This order becomes even more apparent at the most critical moment: “when the queen suddenly disappears…”

The Emergency Plan Activated Upon the Queen's Sudden Death

The moment the queen bee dies, the colony detects it very quickly. This is because the queen’s constantly released pheromones (chemical scent) instantly cease. Since these pheromones maintain the entire order of the colony, their absence is understood within a few hours.

Although the queen's death might seem like a great danger to the colony, due to the divinely inspired order within the bees, no panic occurs. Within the very first hours, the hive activates its emergency renewal program

Stages of the Emergency Procedure

• The worker bees quickly identify very young larvae aged 1–2 days found in the combs.
• These larvae are converted into special queen-rearing cells.
• All selected larvae are continuously and intensively fed royal jelly (queen's milk).
• This special diet enhances the larva's growth, ensuring queen development.
• New queens are ready to be born in approximately 16 days.

This orderly functioning of the colony is not the result of any training or experience. Every action is a step-by-step implementation of a plan inspired since creation.

The Throne Battles of the Queen Candidates

The queens developed from the larvae selected and fed royal jelly do not emerge at the same time; however, the task of the first queen to emerge is very clear. She immediately ends future throne battles by piercing the cells of the other queen candidates who have not yet emerged. If two or three queens emerge simultaneously, a fight to the death ensues. The queen who wins the duel and survives is declared the sole ruler of the colony. The hive returns to its normal order approximately 25–30 days after the death of the previous queen

The New Queen's Mating Process

After the new queen is born and wins the duel, she stays inside the colony for a few days to be strengthened in preparation for the mating stages. She then goes on her mating flight.

• She does not mate with the drones from her own colony.
• The mating flight usually takes place within 5–10 days.
• The queen mates with 10–20 Drone (male) bees in the air.
• In a single flight, she stores 5–7 million sperm, enough for her entire lifetime.
• She begins laying eggs 1–3 days after returning to the hive.
• The entire process, from the death of the old queen to the new queen's complete dominance, takes approximately 3–4 weeks.
• During this time, the hive does not produce new workers; yet, thanks to the honey stores and the workers' planned division of labor, the colony does not collapse.

Change in Defense Strategies During the Queenless Period

Scientific observations show that the defensive strength of queenless colonies does not weaken; on the contrary, it temporarily increases, and they become more aggressive than before.

Why Do They Become More Aggressive?

• The reduction in queen pheromone affects the worker bees' calming hormone balance. This partially develops the ovaries of the female worker bees, and the suppressed aggressive hormone, "juvenile hormone," increases, making them more irritable. This effect further increases the workers' aggression and their desire for a fight-to-the-death defense.
• They exhibit a stronger reaction to external threats like hornets, bee-eaters, or raiding bees from other hives, acting with an instinct like, "The future of this hive is in our hands."
• In summary, when honey bees lose their queen, they do not show "panic or helplessness," but rather exhibit a professional attitude with the thought: "The queen is gone, now we must work harder and save the hive!"
• Beekeepers often advise: "The bees in a queenless hive are more eager to attack and sting, so do not approach them without gloves and protection during that period."

What Happens When the Colony Collapses?

If the hive is completely destroyed due to a bear attack, fire, or physical disaster, three different behaviors are observed among the surviving bees.

Who are the Drones (Male Bees) that Fertilize the Queen?

Drone bees are the male individuals of the colony, created solely for reproduction. Their role within the hive's order is entirely aimed at this purpose.

Key Characteristics of Drone Bees

• They do not collect honey or build comb.
• They do not participate in hive defense because they have no stingers.
• They have larger compound eyes than worker bees (approx. 13,000 facets).
• They live in special cells, consume 3–4 times more food and energy than workers.
• Their lifespan in summer is generally 40–60 days.
• They live only to fertilize the queen.
• They emerge from unfertilized eggs (haplodiploidy system).
• The number of drones in a strong hive is usually between 200–1,000 in summer.

Why Does the Queen Mate with Foreign Drones, Not Her Own?

This system is a perfect protection mechanism created for the genetic structure of the bees.

The Reason is This:

• Mating with her own colony increases the risk of inbreeding.
• Similar to humans, inbreeding can lead to the emergence of lethal genes.
• Inbreeding weakens the colony's resistance to diseases and environmental changes.

Therefore, during the mating flight, the new queen flies outside her own area to special meeting points called Drone Congregation Areas (DCA).

How the Mating Flight Works

• The queen’s pheromone acts as a call message, attracting tens of thousands of drones from all hives within a 5–10 km radius to the special area (DCA).
• 10,000–25,000 drones may gather in the area for mating.
• The queen selects among them and mates with 10–20 drones from different colonies.

• In this way, the colony's genetic structure is strengthened, and its resistance to disease is increased.

  

Bees Act with Divine Inspiration

It is evident that this extraordinary functioning of bees, which we have examined from just one aspect, cannot be explained by the fallacy of chance as claimed by evolutionists. As stated in the Qur'anic verse, bees exhibit behaviors inspired by God. These small creatures are just one of the clear proofs of a creation without example and without equal in the universe.

Every detail, from the emergency system activated upon the queen's death, to the gathering areas of the drones, to the colony's defense mechanism, is created with Allah’s infinite knowledge, wisdom, and power.