Several factors can cause the replacement of the queen. When it no longer produces pheromones in sufficient quantity, the bees may decide to replace it. Also when their performance is low (poor posture) or its stock of sperm ends (and she can only produce drones). In some cases, the bees seem to blame the queen for a greater disturbance in the hive, and kill it by “balling”: they form a ‘ball’ around it to choke it. Invariably, the purpose seems to always get a better queen than the current one.
