The Buzz about Honey bee Swarms: Creation's Amazing Journey
Welcome back, fellow bee enthusiasts! It's that time of year- it's gonna bee May! Ok it is today, but we had to do it. If you know, you know. And May means honey bee swarm season! Are we excited, yes! Are you excited? Probably not, but after learning about them in this blog, you might bee. So get comfy with your tea, (hopefully with some of our honey in it. Have you tried our Infused Lemon Honey? We are told it's amazing in tea. Anyway...) because we're buzzing into the world of honey bee swarms and swarm trapping.
Imagine you are doing some gardening and suddenly hear what can only bee described as a roar of buzzing. You might notice what seems like thousands of bees flying around or maybe you see a large cluster of bees on your porch or a tree branch. Well, it's most likely a honey bee swarm- a bustling hive, teeming with activity, suddenly decides it's time for a change of scenery and go on an adventure. That's when the magic of swarming unfolds! In this week's blog, we'll buzz into the world of swarms and tell you a bit about how Fingerlakes Honey Company works with this phenomenon of nature.
What Makes a Honeybee Swarm?
So, what triggers a honey bee swarm? Well, it's all about space and reproduction. Think of a honey bee colony as a thriving metropolis. As it grows in population and resources, the hive becomes crowded, and the worker bees sense it's time for a new chapter. With the urge to expand and propagate the colony, they initiates the swarming process.
Why Do They Swarm?
Swarming isn't just a random "flight of fancy" for bees—it's a crucial part of their life cycle. By swarming, honey bees ensure the survival and proliferation of their species. It's creation's way of spreading the bee love far and wide, establishing new colonies, and maintaining a healthy bee population. Plus, it's an adventure for the bees, as they embark on a collective journey to find a fresh start.
What Happens When They Swarm?
Picture it- a cloud of bees buzzing through the air, with the queen amongst the thousands of worker bees, about 2/3 of the hive, protecting their queen. They definitely form a mesmerizing spectacle of synchronized flight and sound. Once they leave the hive, they gather in a temporary cluster, usually hanging from a tree branch or other elevated spot. This temporary stop allows scout bees to scout potential new nesting sites while the swarm waits.
Where Do They Go?
Ah, the million-dollar question! Where does a swarm decide to settle down? Well, that's where the scout bees come in. These explorers venture out in search of suitable locations for the new hive. They scour the surrounding area, looking for cozy spots such as tree hollows, abandoned buildings, or even the eaves of a house. Once the scouts find the perfect spot, they communicate their discovery to the rest of the swarm, How do they do it? It's all about teamwork and communication in the bee world! Through some impressive bee telepathy (okay, maybe not telepathy, but we didn't think you'd beelieve us if we told you they do a dance!), they all agree and make a beeline for their new home sweet home.
What About Those Left-Behind in the Hive?
Now, don't you worry about the bees left behind in the original hive. They've got it covered! Before the queen and her merry band of workers left to find a new home, the bees in the hive were already preparing for the departure. They began making swarm cells and the queen layed eggs in them. Swarm cells will produce a new queen to take the place of the one preparing to leave the hive. (that's a whole 'nother blog post about how queens are made, etc.) A group of worker bees stays behind to keep the home fires burning, so to speak. They'll continue their essential tasks of caring for the brood, collecting nectar and pollen, and maintaining the hive's structure. Typically, the bees produce many swarm cells and the strongest of these new queens take over the production of new brood for the colony. This new “princess” or virgin queen will leave the hive, mate with about a dozen male drone bees, then return to the hive to begin laying eggs to carry on the legacy of the colony. So one hive now became two!!
Swarm Trapping: Saving the Day
Now, what if a swarm decides to crash the party in your backyard? That's where swarm trapping comes in. Beekeepers set up special traps to lure in swarms and give them a new home sweet home, away from busy streets and grumpy neighbors. We enjoy capturing swarms for a few different reasons- obviously to give the bees a fighting chance of surviving, but also we have found that keeping native bees that have made it through our cold Fingerlakes winter, are more hardy. Plus it's way more economical; buying bees is expensive! That's always a plus in this difficult economy.
It is important to note, that swarming isn’t bad. In fact, it’s often a sign a colony is healthy! After all, without swarms the honey bee population wouldn’t grow.
Swarms are usually not aggressive either. Because they have no honey or brood to defend, swarms are more often than not extremely docile. But still remember to keep your distance.
Fingerlakes Honey Company still does some of these types of swarm removals, but most swarms we get contacted about have found a new home within a few hours. So unless we can get there immediately, the bees are usually gone. Most of our swarm trapping is proactive now. We have found the most success placing swarm traps up right before swarm season starts (early May, depending on the weather). With our Swarm Trap Exchange Program, local land owners can have a swarm trap placed in their wooded areas in exchange for some of our honey. Look for us out and about putting up traps this coming weekend.
What is a Swarm Trap?
Our swarm traps are made of wood and resemble a small bee hive box with a fragrant-smelling lure inside. It is strapped to a tree to mimic a place bees would like to live. We hope it will bee a suitable home for the scouts to find. We check on the traps every week or so. Some land owners enjoy checking the traps on their property for activity and letting us know when we've caught one. The bees are not actually trapped as the name implies. Think of it as a temporary apartment until they get their new mansion. When we have a successfully captured swarm in a trap, our expert swarm catchers go during pre-dawn hours, when the bees are still tucked away in their beds, close their front door, and get the trap in the "moving van", aka our SUV.
Catching and Putting in a New Hive
Once the bees are safely in the trap and then our vehicle, it's time for relocation. Arriving at their new area, beekeepers gently transfer the bees into a new, regular-sized hive, making sure everyone—especially the queen—is snug as a bug. With some TLC and a few frames of honey, the bees will be buzzing happily in their new digs in no time. Soon they will bee making honey and growing their numbers until the cycle starts all over again. And yes, if you were wondering, a hive can swarm more than one time a season.
What to Do if You See a Swarm?
If you see honey bees swarming or landed, here’s what you should do:
Stay calm and keep back from them. Take pictures and/or videos to remember this event.
Remind any curious neighbors or onlookers to keep a safe distance. Use the information you learned in this blog to help others understand that this is a natural process that isn’t dangerous.
Keep an eye on the bees and try to see where they eventually land or end up. If they do move into a structure on your property, you may want to call a local beekeeping group to see if a beekeeper can remove them. If possible, send them a photo of the bees, as many people think that a hornets nest or a few yellow jackets are swarms. This will help the beekeeper know what they are dealing with.
So, there you have it, folks: the lowdown on honey bee swarms and swarm trapping. As we gear up for May swarming season, let's give a round of applause to these incredible insects and the amazing journey they embark on. After all, without them, our world would be a lot less sweet!
Do you have a story or pictures of a swarm? We'd love to hear about it and see them. Or if you have any other questions about swarms or trapping, feel free to post in the comments.
Until next time- Stay just as Sweet!
Tom and Stacie
Our Beekeepers, Tom and Stacie, husband and wife team and co-owners of Fingerlakes Honey Company located in the bee-utiful Fingerlakes region of New York State. When they are not tending to all things bees, they enjoy spending time with their grown children, their dog, and lots of chickens on their homestead. They love learning more about the bees they foster and helping others to learn more about them as well. Thanks for reading.
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