When a queen bee dies, the worker bees take control of the hive by quickly recognizing the loss of her pheromones, which suppress their reproductive capabilities. 

They initiate a process to rear a new queen by selecting young larvae and feeding them a diet rich in royal jelly. This emergency queen-rearing process takes about 16 days. During this time, the hive operates without a queen, which can lead to instability. 

If successful, one of the new queens will emerge, mate, and begin laying eggs, restoring order to the colony. If no new queen is produced or if she fails to mate successfully, the colony may eventually decline.