# Introducing new Queen with queen cups



## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

As long as there are queen cells (cups become cells once they have an egg or larva in them) the bees will not accept your new queen. You'll have to remove the present queen and any queen cells (build a split or two) then wait 5-6 days to give them time to rebuild queen cells (until all the brood is too old to raise a queen) and destroy any new queen cells. Once the hive knows they are hopelessly queen less, they will accept a new queen. You can combine later if things don't work out.

Keep us informed and good luck.


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

> As long as there are queen cells (cups become cells once they have an egg or larva in them) the bees will not accept your new queen. You'll have to remove the present queen and any queen cells (build a split or two) then wait 5-6 days to give them time to rebuild queen cells


IMO - after you remove the old queen - and tare down any cells as gary says - then you can put in the new queen - you don't have to or need to wait the extra 5/6 days


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

sakhoney said:


> IMO - after you remove the old queen - and tare down any cells as gary says - then you can put in the new queen - you don't have to or need to wait the extra 5/6 days


Good point by sakhoney, I've only had one situation, this year, where the nuc built a second set of queen cells and would not accept the new queen until I destroyed the second set of queen cells. There must have been eggs on the frames, in addition to young larva. In 99% of the cases in the past, there was no second set of queen cells.


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