When loyalty fades: Inside the secret uprisings against honey bee queens

undefined 28, 2025

Source: interestingengineering

A honey bee colony relies on its queen, but viral infections can damage her ovaries and reduce pheromones that signal her fitness. Workers detect this decline and initiate supersedure, raising a new queen. UBC researchers found that synthetic pheromones can stabilize hives, while controlling varroa mites, vectors for these viruses, can help prevent premature queen replacement, improving colony health and productivity for beekeepers.

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