SWARM

A swarm is the way a colony reproduces. The queen, along with a portion of the bees from the parent hive, set out on their own to find a new home. The remaining bees raise a new Queen.

A swarm of honey bees is an impressive sight to see. If you are fortunate enough to see one in flight, it will seem to appear out of nowhere as a small tornado or cloud of flying bees. If it decides to stop on your property, it will form a mass of bees, usually on a tree limb, but it could land on just about anything stationary. Don’t panic, swarming bees are very docile, since they have no home to protect. With that said, you should not attempt to handle the swarm yourself. Instead, you should contact a local beekeeper who has the right gear and expertise to remove it from your property.

Also, unmanaged bee colonies, in the wild, find it hard to survive on their own due to various new parasites and diseases. By calling a beekeeper you will help the swarm survive.

Common Swarm locations

Honey bee swarms typically end up in temporary resting spots while scout bees search for a permanent home. Here’s where they most commonly settle:

Who can I Contact?

If you’ve found a swarm of honey bees on your property, don’t try to move or disturb it yourself. Swarms are usually calm, but they can become defensive if threatened. Instead, contact a local beekeeper who is trained to safely and responsibly relocate the bees. Use the list below to find someone in your area who can help.

Are you Sure they are honey bees?

Many people confuse honey bees with wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets—each behaves differently and requires a different approach. Before calling a beekeeper, take a moment to learn how to tell them apart.