The process of swarming in stingless bees is rather different from the one found in Apis mellifera. Before they swarm, some workers fly in search of a place for the new nest. When they find a suitable place, they begin the construction of the new nest, using material from the mother colony. Only after the bees have built the nest entrance, pots, and involucrum, and only after provisioning the new nest, the virgin queen leaves the old colony and goes to the new nest. It is believed that only then does the new queen make her nuptial flight, where she is mated by only one male. The queen's ovaries initiate egg development, enlarging the abdomen so that she cannot fly anymore. Some days later, she begin laying eggs. Return visits of some workers to the mother colony may go on for a long time, even after the complete establishment of the new colony.