Honey bee swarm. Close-up of a swarm of honey bees (Apis mellifera) shortly after leaving the hive. Swarming is the method by which honey bee colonies divide, resulting in the creation of an additional colony or colonies. The queen bee leaves the hive with a large number of worker bees, and the swarm finds a cavity in which to create a new colony. Virgin queens in the old colony compete to become the new queen, while the old queen may continue in the new colony for a while until she is superseded by a new queen.