Supersedure in honey bees is the replacement of an old queen with a new queen, usually done because the old queen is failing in some regard.
"The colony that decides their queen is not up to the task at hand starts supersedure promptly. After starting supersedure cells the old queen is expendable. The colony is not going to let her interfere in the process. If the old queen insists on removing the competition, and balling her away from the supersedure cell in development does not provide adequate attitude adjustment, they are forced to terminate her. They would prefer to have her continue to lay until her daughter is mated and laying."
Are They Supersedure or Swarm Cells?
Bee Culture – July, 2005
by Walt Wright
"If in the Spring or early Summer or late Summer or Autumn you suddenly find between one and five evenly aged queen cells built on the face of the brood combs of this colony, you may very well have a very rare treasure, i.e. a supersedure strain. Should you subsequently examine your colony and find therein your old queen still laying while on an adjacent frame you find her daughter queen also laying, then you surely have a pearl of great price. For this is supersedure at its very best and this is a strain which is well worthy of future propagation."
LONG-LIVED SUPERSEDURE STRAINS,
written in 1997 by Micheál Mac Giolla Coda
"The colony that decides their queen is not up to the task at hand starts supersedure promptly. After starting supersedure cells the old queen is expendable. The colony is not going to let her interfere in the process. If the old queen insists on removing the competition, and balling her away from the supersedure cell in development does not provide adequate attitude adjustment, they are forced to terminate her. They would prefer to have her continue to lay until her daughter is mated and laying."
Are They Supersedure or Swarm Cells?
Bee Culture – July, 2005
by Walt Wright
"If in the Spring or early Summer or late Summer or Autumn you suddenly find between one and five evenly aged queen cells built on the face of the brood combs of this colony, you may very well have a very rare treasure, i.e. a supersedure strain. Should you subsequently examine your colony and find therein your old queen still laying while on an adjacent frame you find her daughter queen also laying, then you surely have a pearl of great price. For this is supersedure at its very best and this is a strain which is well worthy of future propagation."
LONG-LIVED SUPERSEDURE STRAINS,
written in 1997 by Micheál Mac Giolla Coda
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