What is swarming in bees?

Swarming is indeed a natural process where a colony splits to form a new colony. This event typically occurs when a colony becomes populous and healthy, prompting the bees to reproduce. During swarming, the queen bee and a significant number of worker bees leave the original hive to establish a new colony, while the remaining bees in the original hive rear a new queen. This is a critical part of the lifecycle of honeybee colonies, helping to propagate the species and also allowing the bees to thrive in new environments.

The process is an essential mechanism for genetic diversity and population control within bee populations, ensuring that colonies can spread out and occupy new areas, which ultimately aids in their survival and adaptability.