Queen Bee Being Balled

Video of Queen Being 'Balled' In The Beekeeper's Hand

When a new queen is available, the workers will kill the reigning queen by "balling" her, colloquially known as the "cuddle death"; clustering tightly around her until she dies from overheating. This overheating method is also used to kill large predatory wasps that enter the hive in search of food and may be used against a foreign queen attempting to take over an existing colony. Balling is often a problem for beekeepers attempting to introduce a replacement queen.