When a hive gets too big or a queen starts to get too old, the “nurse bee” workers will create new queens by feeding one or more of the larvae with what’s called “royal jelly” in amounts that exceed what is given to normal workers and drones. This causes those larvae to grow into fertile queens and if the existing queen is healthy, she drives out the new one(s), who leaves with a drone (male) and goes to find a place to lay eggs and start a new hive. What they look for is a protected area that can be kept cool in the summer and warm in the winter. House walls and floors are actually just exactly what fits their criteria IF they can find a way in.
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