A scientific review by biologists Hannes Bonhoff from Lund University and Heikki Helanterä…

A scientific review by biologists Hannes Bonhoff from Lund University and Heikki Helanterä from the University of Oulu suggests that replacing a queen bee may signify the death of one colony and the birth of another. Published in Insectes Sociaux, the study proposes assessing honey bee colony survival based on the genetic identity of the reproductive female rather than the physical continuity of the hive.

The review challenges a common beekeeping practice of removing a queen and introducing a new one to sustain honey production or crop pollination. The authors argue this intervention does not rejuvenate the same insect group but ends the previous colony's life, as the existing workers raise the offspring of the new queen.