Swarms
Cindy Hodges, August 2009
Swarming is a natural behavior of honey bees that occurs in the spring. It is a reproductive strategy of the bees, creating two or more new colonies from the original one. During the winter, the queen lays fewer eggs and the hive concentrates on winter survival. In the spring of the year, with warmer temperatures and early nectar flows, the queen will begin laying eggs at an accelerated rate in order to build up the population in the colony. Occasionally the queen will run out of space to lay additional eggs and the nest becomes congested.
In response to this congestion, the queen will leave the hive in search of a new nest. As many as half of the worker bees and drones leave with her. This could represent several thousand bees. The bees congregate on a tree limb or similar place, and form a ball-shaped cluster around the queen. The cluster can reach the size of a football or larger. Once the cluster has been established, scouts search for an alternative living space.
While the buzzing of the swarm and the size of the cluster may be disconcerting, bees in a swarm are focused on only one thing, finding a new living space. In a swarm, honey bees are usually harmless to bystanders unless they are molested.
What to do if you see a swarm on your property:
Do not molest the swarm or kill it. Honey bees are protected by law in the State of Georgia.
You may decide to do nothing when you have a swarm. As a rule, the swarm will identify a new nesting site on its own and will move to it. This usually takes less than twenty-four hours. However, if having the swarm removed is preferred, call 770-861-2112.
Honey bees are also found within walls, roof overhangs, or other parts of a building. Removing bees from these kinds of places requires specialized equipment and may be dangerous, depending on the location of the swarm.
Homes should be carefully inspected periodically, and all openings, even very small ones, should be repaired, and either screened or sealed.
Copyright © 2010. Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association, Inc. All rights reserved.