If the old queen is still in the hive, remove her. For more information on how to identify the queen bee, see the section below in this article.
Unfortunately, removing the old queen means killing her. It’s not a fun part of beekeeping, but it’s necessary to ensure the survival of the colony. To quickly kill the queen, grab her by the wings and then use your fingers to pinch her head. Some beekeepers will leave the dead queen on the frames because it helps the colony realize that she is gone.
You still have a couple of options for the old queen. Some may opt to keep her alive in case the hive does not accept the new queen. You can also use the old queen if you plan to split the hive. Get in touch with your local beekeeping community and see if there is an opportunity to sell her to another hive.
If you plan to keep the queen, she must remain in her cage. Keep her well-fed and warm. The queen should be transferred to another hive as soon as possible, no longer than a couple of days