Phys.org It sounds like the plot of a medieval historical drama: A once-powerful monarch, weakened by illness, is overthrown by her previously loyal subjects. But in honey bee colonies, such high-stakes coups aren’t just fantasy—they’re a common occurrence that comes with both risk and reward for bee colonies and the food systems that depend on them. Known as supersedure, the process occurs when the tens of thousands of worker bees in a colony sense their queen is no longer laying enough eggs and coordinate to replace her with a new, healthier queen. While this survival strategy helps wild colonies adapt, it can spell trouble for managed hives, leading to gaps in egg-laying, weaker colony populations and ultimately less pollinating and honey production.
Now, researchers at the University of British Columbia have made an important discovery that illuminates why these violent revolts occur and how they’re coordinated with such remarkable synchronicity.