Honey bees are relatively docile bugs and they have a tendency to stick near to their hives. Nevertheless, in the springtime, as the colony grows, it might in fact grow too big and have to do something about the overpopulation. They choose to swarm, i.e. to leave the hive trying to find a new residence.
Insect control experts have a lot of experience with this and they have some fundamental info about swarming, along with what to do if you experience this remarkable phenomenon.
As mentioned before, swarms are normally a spring phenomenon. As bees start becoming a lot more energetic and reproducing, the swarms might happen. The most likely period to witness a swarm is late springtime, but other parts of the energetic bee period might additionally appropriate for this phenomenon.
Usually, one nest splits into two, but in specific circumstances, it might happen that it splits into three or even more different nests, each with a queen of its own.
If you remember your high school biology, you might remember that bee nests are very tightly organized. There is a queen bee which reproduces and doesn’t do any other work. She founded the colony and is the mom of all the worker bees. These worker bees are the hard-working females who gather the nectar, cross-pollinate the plants and safeguard the colony from any type of dangers. There are male bees as well, called drones, but they only have a reproductive purpose, after which they die.
Often, the colony becomes too numerous for the dimension of the hive, so bees turn to splitting the colony in two. A new queen is birthed and takes fifty percent of the colony away from the initial site to locate a suitable new residence.
Seeing thousands or tens of thousands of bees flying in unison is a genuinely stunning sight and even if you see them when they land, it can still be impressive. Usually, the swarm settles near their native colony, as much as a 100 feet away from it for a few days. The queen isn’t great at flying, so she sits tight, bordered by worker bees.
In the meanwhile, scout bees are dispatched to look for an ideal place for a new colony. Just like when searching for feeding grounds, only the best scouts are sent out. They return and communicate the place of the prospective new residence by dancing and buzzing, much like when searching for food. Finally, after a decision has been made, the entire swarm takes off once more and settles in the new place.
Bees have a very specific requirement when it comes to what they anticipate from their residences. They want a cavity which is dark enough to protect the larvae, and with only one entry which they can protect. In addition, they need a source of water close-by and flowering plants for food as well. Unfortunately, all of these requirements are very often located near or in our houses.
A lot of folks have sheds, trees, or other possibly feasible places for a bee colony in their back yards. What’s even more, water is almost universally available through an outside tap for watering the yard or any other purpose. Bees might find your backyard almost impossible to resist and might decide to settle on your property. Even before they do that, you might experience a big swarm somewhere near your house, looking for a long-term residence close by.
If you experience a swarm in your property, remember that they are not interested in you and will not endanger you unless provoked. They are simply trying to find a new house. Still, a lot of people are uncomfortable with having wild bees on their property, especially if they have young children or pets. Bees have a tendency to keep to themselves and will only protect their colony if you get too close. If you provoke them, they will certainly defend themselves vehemently. Spraying them with water or some sort of an insecticide is absolutely a bad idea and will likely instigate the bees to attack you.
It is a lot better to consult bee removal experts to help you. They have all the essential equipment to shield them from bee attacks, along with a lot of experience in dealing with bees. Some bee removal firms also provide services of bee rescue, meaning that the bees are moved and saved, as opposed to killed. Usually, these are bee keepers who take the bees and give them a hive to inhabit and make honey for the beekeeper. If you don’t want to have the bees injured, you should look for this option and ask your pest control if they provide this service.