<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (June 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Swarming is the process by which a new honey bee colony is formed when the queen bee leaves the colony with a large group of worker bees . In the prime swarm, about 60% of the worker bees leave the original hive location with the old queen . This swarm can contain thousands to tens of thousands of bees . Swarming is mainly a spring phenomenon, usually within a two - or three - week period depending on the locale, but occasional swarms can happen throughout the producing season . Secondary afterswarms may happen but are rare . Afterswarms are usually smaller and are accompanied by one or more virgin queens . Sometimes a beehive will swarm in succession until it is almost totally depleted of workers . </P> <P> Swarming is honey bee colonies' natural means of reproduction . In the process of swarming the original single colony reproduces to two and sometimes more colonies . For instance, one species of honey bee that participates in such swarming behavior is Apis cerana . The reproduction swarms of this species settle 20--30 m away from the natal nest for a few days and will then depart for a new nest site after getting information from scout bees . Scout bees search for suitable cavities in which to construct the swarm's home . Successful scouts will then come back and report the location of suitable nesting sites to the other bees . </P> <P> Worker bees create queen cups throughout the year . When the hive is getting ready to swarm, the queen lays eggs into the queen cups . New queens are raised and the hive may swarm as soon as the queen cells are capped and before the new virgin queens emerge from their queen cells . A laying queen is too heavy to fly long distances . Therefore, the workers will stop feeding her before the anticipated swarm date and the queen will stop laying eggs . Swarming creates an interruption in the brood cycle of the original colony . During the swarm preparation, scout bees will simply find a nearby location for the swarm to cluster . When a honey bee swarm emerges from a hive they do not fly far at first . They may gather in a tree or on a branch only a few metres from the hive . There, they cluster about the queen and send 20 - 50 scout bees out to find suitable new nest locations . This intermediate stop is not for permanent habitation and they will normally leave within a few hours to a suitable location . It is from this temporary location that the cluster will determine the final nest site based on the level of excitement of the dances of the scout bees . It is unusual if a swarm clusters for more than three days at an intermediate stop . </P>

When do honey bees return to the hive