About the time that sees the clover showing white in the summer, affairs within the beehive approach a crisis. Large amounts of pollen and nectar have been brought back by 50,000 or so workers, and all available vacant cells are overflowing.

The Queen has increased by many thousands the number of her brood, and now finds herself encroached upon, and pushed for space in her domain. The combs are fully occupied, and the hive is crowded to the point where the "fanner" bees are finding it all but impossible to ventilate the hive properly, and returning bees are reluctant to enter the hive and add to the chaos.

Within a week a freshly hatching brood will add to the congestion. Something must be done, and done quickly. For in the world of the bee inactivity (except in winter) is unheard of.

So the bees prepare to swarm. Of course, the bees who remain with the hive to form the nucleus of a new colony must have a Queen. The original Queen will go with the swarm. Ever efficient, the bees cater for any unexpected accident by preparing for many new Queens. The workers construct special cells by sacrificing other cells around them. These special cells are larger, with thicker walls.

Into these cells the existing Queen lays eggs which in the normal course of events would produce worker bees. However, the nurse bees feed these eggs with richer food, and more of it, enlarge the cells more as the larvae grow. Until the cells are capped, with the new virgin Queens emerging in a week.

At this time restlessness seizes the old Queen, who rushes about, trying in vain to assert her authority, even threatening the young Queens-to-be, and order breaks down. The temperature will finally rise to a point where the bees find it intolerable and swarm from the hive. When the Queen leaves the hive and settles in some nearby tree or bush the bees cluster around her. This is the time that the beekeeper, if he has been watchful, can gather them up and transport them to a new hive to start anew. Otherwise, within a short time scouts will have found a new permanent home, and the swarm will be lost.

The original hive, now depleted by more than half, now returns to it's life as though nothing had happened. A few days later the strongest of the new Queens-to-be lets it be known that she is ready to emerge. She cuts the capping of her cell and emerges. The nearest honey cell has her first attention, feeding hungrily. She then devotes her attention to her sisters, finding all the other Queen cells, ripping them open and killing her rivals. If she is not quick enough, or is not allowed by the other bees, she will wait to fight to the death any other potential Queens that may emerge. Alternatively she may decide not to fight for the position of Queen here and join an "afterswarm". The bee law remains intact. A law of bee life, having very few exceptions, has been upheld. "One Queen - one kingdom".