What is the purpose of swarm cells in a bee colony?

Swarm cells serve the primary function of preparing for swarming within a bee colony. When a colony becomes populous and the queen's presence is no longer sufficient to manage the size, bees will create these specialized cells to raise new queens. The process involves the colony nurturing the young queens in these cells while preparing to split, or "swarm," into two separate colonies.

This process is critical as it allows for the propagation of the species; once the new queen emerges, she may take flight on a nuptial flight, mate, and subsequently begin a new colony. The readiness of the colony to swarm is influenced by factors such as the availability of nectar, hive congestion, and the overall health of the queen.

The other choices, while related to the overall functioning of a bee colony, do not accurately describe the specific purpose of swarm cells. They may involve other aspects of hive dynamics but are not the main focus of swarm cells.