Swarming is the natural reproductive life cycle of honey bees. Warm weather, combined with an abundance of nectar and pollen stimulate the colony to increase in population. This can cause over-crowding which leads the bees to swarm. Swarms usually emerge from the colonies between 10:00am and 2:00pm on warm sunny days. The old queen, together with about half of the bees from the colony, leave the hive and cluster on a nearby object such as a fence, tree, or a small shrub. The swarm may remain for a few hours or a few days, while the scout bees (worker bees) search for a new, permanent nesting site. Once found, the swarm will move to this site and establish a new colony. Bee swarms are NOT normally aggressive because they are gorged full of honey and homeless, which reduces their defensive behavior. A swarm will become increasingly defensive, if provoked, the longer it remains in a given location. In the original colony, a new queen emerges and continues to maintain the parent colony.
SWARMS AND PEOPLE
People who are not familiar with honey bees often have a fear of them. Swarming bees are generally not inclined to sting provided they are left alone – but the following precautions should be taken:
• If you see a swarm settling on your property, keep children and pets inside the house until the flying bees have clustered onto a bush or another object.
• After the swarm has clustered and most of the bees have stopped flying, it is normally safe to be outside the house.
• Keep children and animals well away from the swarm.
• Arrange to have the swarm removed .
• Wear footwear to protect your feet in case bees have settled on the ground.
• Do not attempt to move the swarm by hosing it, throwing stones at it, smoking the bees, or taking any action to make the swarm move. This action will only aggravate the bees and encourage them to sting in self defense.
• Interfering with the swarm will make it more difficult for a beekeeper or licensed pest control operator to deal with the bees.
