23/04/2025
It's swarm season:
Don't panic
It's important to understand bee swarms and what to do when you encounter them.
A swirling swarm of 20,000-30,000 honey bees taking to the air, and then clustering in a tree or on/in another object can undoubtedly be very nerve-racking or frightening for people. But, swarms are at their most vulnerable during this period and are generally not dangerous during this time. It’s important to understand swarms, and what to do when you encounter them, rather than try to kill them, as we need these important pollinators for a number of reasons.
How do I know that the swarm is honey bees, rather than wasps or another social insect?
If you see a swarm, you can rest assured it is a swarm of beneficial honey bees, rather than a more aggressive social insect. The honey bee is the only insect we have in our area that swarms because they are the only species whose entire colony lives through the winter. With other native social insects, including bumble bees, yellow jackets and paper wasps, only the new queens overwinter.
It’s important to note that a swarm will usually only hang out for a very short period, finding new housing within a few hours to just a day or two. This makes just waiting it out for them to move on the best option
