It’s swarm season!! Each year, bees want to make more bees. Workers will create a new queen by feeding fertilized larva royal jelly. While a new queen is being formed, the old queen will exit the hive and about half the bees will leave with her. We call this a swarm. Then a cloud of bees will leave the hive and form a cluster on nearly anything convenient. If you happen to find a cluster of bees hanging on a limb, fence or any other object, you need a beekeeper. Do not call an exterminator. Do not spray the bees with a water hose, or bug spray. Please call a BEEKEEPER, your County Extension Office, local beekeeping club, police department, or a similar organization. Swarms are quite literally homeless bees. As such, they are not defending a hive, and are usually quite docile. But that doesn’t mean you should mess with them unless you know what you’re doing. Leave it to the experienced folks. And if you see a beekeeper running, please get out of the way, and do try to keep up.
I am also looking for places to set swarm traps. If you have a farm or location known to have swarms, message me.
