Honey bees swarm as a natural part of their reproductive process. They have outgrown their current home and are leaving with their queen to a new location. They leave behind a hive with a developing queen and some younger bees who will take over. The beekeeper works hard to prevent and control swarming from their own hives – after all, the beekeeper doesn’t want to lose bees. However, in spite of the best of efforts, some bees will still swarm. It is also important to remember that there are wild bee colonies as well.
Although the sight and sound of a swarm of honey bees can cause alarm, they are too busy taking care of their precious queen to be interested in you. Caution is advised all the same, and you shouldn’t get too close.
Credit to: Lucy Reading-Ikkanda
What should you do?
The first step is to identify that they are honey bees. We receive many calls about swarms that turn out to not be honey bees after all.
Please click on the insect that most closely resembles what you can see.
