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A single queen cell in the middle of a brood comb can determine the future of the entire bee colony. Many beekeepers, upon noticing one, immediately reach for a chisel and remove it, thinking they've just stopped the swarm. Unfortunately, in some cases, this move can seriously harm the bees. In this video, you'll learn the five most important signs of silent queen replacement. This is a natural process in which a bee colony decides to replace an old or weakening queen with a young queen. The bees are not preparing to leave the hive and have no intention of dividing the colony. Worker bees can detect a deterioration in queen quality much earlier than the beekeeper. They react to the change in pheromones, the reduced egg count, and the declining brood quality. They then calmly begin raising a new queen. The first important clue is the location of the queen cell. Swarm queen cells are often located at the bottom, edges, or corners of the comb. A queen cell designated for silent queen replacement may be located directly in the center of the brood area. The second sign is the worker bees' behavior. During a silent queen change, the bees sit quietly around the cell, feeding the larva, and carefully tending the cell. There's no panic, heavy movement, or the characteristic tension associated with swarming behavior. The video also shows why incomplete or irregular brood doesn't always indicate disease. An older queen may gradually reduce her brood while the new queen is still developing. This is a short transition period. The most important question is: when should you act, and when is it better to close the hive and let the bees complete their natural process? Removing a good queen cell can leave the colony without a good queen and force the bees to build weak rescue queen cells. Before removing a queen cell, check its location, the bees' behavior, the appearance of the brood, the age of the older queen, and any signs of swarming. Sometimes the best decision a beekeeper makes is to do nothing. Let us know in the comments if you've experienced a silent queen change. You can find a free checklist with twelve danger signals for the bee colony in the pinned comment.