Swarm Removal - Home and Hive

YOUR SAFETY, OUR PRIORITY

Every spring or early summer, beehives which have grown too large over the winter will raise a new queen. The old queen will then leave with a portion of the bees to start a new colony elsewhere.

These swarms of bees will usually hang from branches of trees or on the side of a building while they scout out a new location for their hive.

We will safely remove the entire swarm and transplant them into a hive on our bee farm before they can take up permanent residence at your home or business.

Is there a bee swarm near your home or business?

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What should I do if I see a swarm?

Bee swarms are generally not aggressive during this process. The bees are focused on finding a new home, and their behavior is more docile than usual. However, these swarms can land in unsafe locations and stay there for up to a week. It is advisable to keep a safe distance and contact us to safely remove them.

What if I choose not to remove the swarm?

If you choose to let the swarm stay on your property, be aware that they are looking for a place to set up permanent residence. This may be in the eves of your house, a nearby tree,, or some other inconvenient location. Once bees have established a permanent residence, the removal process becomes more difficult and more costly.

What happens in a bee colony when it decides to swarm?

The process of swarming unfolds in several stages:

1. Preparation: The colony begins to produce new queens, and the existing queen lays fewer eggs. The workers also start to build queen cells, where the new queens will develop.

2. Old Queen Leaves the Hive: When the new queens are almost ready to emerge, the old queen and a large portion of the worker bees leave the hive in a swarm. This usually happens on a warm, sunny day.

3. Swarm Flight: The swarm forms a dense cluster of bees, often hanging from a tree branch or other object near the original hive. During this temporary stop, scout bees search for a suitable location for the new colony.

4. Selection of a New Hive: Once a suitable location is found, the swarm relocates to the chosen site. This could be a hollow tree, an abandoned structure, or even a man-made object.

5. Establishment of the New Colony: The swarm settles into the chosen location, and the workers begin building combs, while the queen resumes laying eggs.

How many bees are typically in a swarm?

The size of a honeybee swarm can vary widely, but a typical swarm consists of thousands to tens of thousands of bees. It generally includes a large portion of the worker bees from the original colony, along with the old queen. The exact number can depend on various factors, including the strength and size of the original colony before swarming and the conditions that triggered the swarm.