Who is present?
Mated queen, old queen, one virgin, several virgins, queen cells—or no viable queen path at all?
State-based beekeeping
Read the colony as a changing state, not a static score.
A colony is not simply “queenright” or “queenless”. It may be governing with a mated queen, quietly superseding her, protecting capped cells, holding several virgins, settling to one virgin, recovering after a swarm, or running out of a viable path to a queen. State-based beekeeping names those differences while the evidence is visible.
16 distinct statesEvidence-ledTime-awareOne team language
What a state actually means
The colony's reproductive and queen dynamics—made explicit.
A state is a precise, evidence-backed description of who is governing the colony now, how secure that arrangement is, and what transition is underway. It turns a complicated biological moment into language another beekeeper can understand and test at the next visit.
That is why a state is more useful than “good”, “weak” or “needs a queen”. Those labels hide the difference between a colony that should be left to complete a natural transition and one that has no viable route back to productive brood.
Think of it as colony diplomacy.Is one mated queen established? Is an old queen being superseded while still laying? Are several virgins resolving down to one? Has the colony lost both its queen and the biological material needed to replace her? The diplomatic status changes the safe decision.
What proves it?
Eggs, larvae, brood pattern, cell stage and position, torn caps, colony tone, crowding and backfilling.
What is changing?
Normal growth, supersedure, emergency replacement, swarm preparation, post-swarm recovery or deliberate division.
What is safe now?
Add space, split, protect cells, wait, recheck, requeen or combine—at a time that fits the biology.
The detail changes the decision
“Queen cells present” is not a diagnosis.
Three colonies can all contain queen cells and be in three different political and biological situations. State-based thinking forces the beekeeper to read the full pattern before acting.
A controlled change of queen
The existing queen may still be present and laying while the colony prepares her successor.
- Usually one or two centred cells
- Older queen or a spotty brood pattern
- Colony remains relatively calm
The right move may be to let supersedure proceed, then verify new eggs after emergence and mating.
A colony preparing to divide
The colony is not merely replacing a queen; it is organising a reproductive split that can remove workforce and production.
- Many bottom or edge cells
- Crowding and brood-nest backfilling
- A slimmed queen and abundant drones
The decision centres on space, congestion and controlled division—not simply removing cells.
A recent loss being repaired
The colony has young material and is reacting to queen loss by starting emergency cells.
- Eggs or young larvae still present
- Many edge cells started
- Timing indicates a recent loss
Protect the best cells, minimise disturbance and allow enough time for emergence, mating and first eggs.
The 16-state language
Enough precision to describe the real colony—not so much that the crew cannot use it.
The field diagnostic groups 16 states into four families. The number gives the team a compact reference; the evidence behind it keeps the number honest.
Healthy / queenright
A laying queen is present or the colony is actively managing a recognisable queen event.
- 1Queenright, brood-normal
Compact worker brood and steady build. - 2Queenright with swarm cells
Crowding, backfilling and swarm preparation. - 3Queenright with supersedure cells
A calmer, controlled queen change. - 4Emergency cells after recent queen loss
Young brood still gives the colony a route forward.
Transitional / risky
The colony is between queens or inside a fragile emergence and mating window where patience matters.
- 5Virgin queen present
No eggs yet; torn cell caps may be visible. - 6Multiple virgin queens
Several virgins are still resolving. - 7One virgin queen
A single unmated queen and a silent brood gap. - 8Only capped queen cells
Protect intact cells before emergence. - 9Only open or hatched cells
Queens may have emerged; virgins may be difficult to see.
Danger / failing
The colony is at risk of becoming non-productive equipment unless the team makes a decisive, evidence-led call.
- 10Queenless, fresh eggs, no cells
A recent loss; test brood or requeen. - 11Hopelessly queenless
No eggs, queen or useful cells remain. - 12Drone layer / laying workers
Multiple eggs, bullet brood or scattered pattern. - 13Old or failing queen
Drone-biased, patchy or deteriorating brood.
Swarming / division
Natural and deliberate divisions have different histories, but both need their queen and brood-break timing made visible.
- 14Post-swarm with virgin queen and cells
The prime swarm has gone and virgins are emerging. - 15Artificial split with queen cells
A beekeeper-made unit with no laying queen yet. - 16Artificial split with virgin or mated queen
The new unit's queen pathway is known and trackable.
States become powerful over time
The important record is not the label. It is the transition.
A colony moves through states as queens emerge, compete, mate and begin laying. Recording those changes lets the next beekeeper ask whether the colony is progressing normally, stalling or moving toward failure.
Supersedure or emergency route
State 3 or 4Queen change begins
State 8Capped cells protected
State 9Cells open or hatched
State 6 or 7Virgins resolve
State 1New brood confirmed
Natural swarm route
State 2Swarm preparation
State 14Prime swarm gone
State 6 or 7Virgin phase
State 5Mating window
State 1Laying restored
Managed split route
State 15Split with cells
State 16Virgin or mated queen
State 5 or 7Queen not laying yet
State 1Brood-normal
These are common paths, not rigid scripts. Weather, queen loss, cell damage and failed mating can divert a colony into states 10–13. The value is that the diversion becomes visible and discussable.
The next level of thinking
States train beekeepers to observe before they intervene.
Instead of compressing the hive into a vague impression, the beekeeper has to connect evidence, biology, timing and action. That discipline makes every inspection a learning loop.
Read more than one signal
Egg age, brood pattern, cell position, colony tone and crowding belong together.
Name the biological moment
The state describes both current governance and the transition the colony is attempting.
Fit action to timing
A useful intervention in one state can destroy progress in another—especially around cells and virgins.
Compare prediction with outcome
The next state reveals whether the diagnosis and timing were right, giving mentors something concrete to coach.
One colony, a shared history
The team can see a living cycle—not disconnected notes.
Every inspection records what was seen, the state chosen, the action taken and the next review window. Over time, the hive history reads as a biological narrative.
That is useful to the field crew today, the manager planning the next round, and the mentor teaching someone why waiting was the skilled decision.
State 3 · Supersedure
Old queen still laying; two centred cells; calm colony. Cells left intact and a review window set.
State 8 · Capped cells
No eggs; no queen seen; best cells intact. Colony closed carefully and emergence timing recorded.
State 7 · One virgin
Virgin confirmed; no eggs expected yet. Rough inspection and premature requeening avoided.
State 1 · Brood-normal
Fresh eggs and a compact worker-brood pattern confirm that the transition completed.
The field reference
Fast enough beside an open hive. Specific enough to teach from.
The two-page Colony States in Spring diagnostic starts with eggs or no eggs, then uses cell stage and position, brood, behaviour and timing to narrow the state and the safe response.
- 01Evidence: what is actually visible?
- 02State: which of the 16 explanations fits?
- 03Action: intervene, protect, wait or schedule review?
Why it speeds the whole operation up
More thought at the hive. Less confusion everywhere else.
State-based beekeeping does not slow experienced crews down. It removes the repeated work created by vague notes, mistimed intervention and knowledge that stays trapped in one person's head.
The next beekeeper knows what is present, what is expected and what must not be disturbed.
Mentors can challenge the evidence behind a state and review whether the predicted transition occurred.
Virgin, emergence and mating windows stay visible, reducing premature requeening or destructive inspections.
Managers see which colonies progressed, stalled, repeated a pattern or entered a failing state.
See it working
See how state history changes a real beekeeping week.
In twenty minutes we can show how Forest & Bees uses shared states for round reports, crew planning, field follow-up and mentor conversations. You see a working operating system, not a staged demo.
Your information stays optionalThe walkthrough uses the Forest & Bees system with permission. You choose whether to discuss your own scale, locations or commercial details.