Bee Swarms

During late spring and early summer beehives will become more active. When nests reach a certain size, the hive will make a new queen and the beehive will split. The new queen will take half of the bees with her to find a new nest. This is what we know as a bee swarm.

If you come across a swarm out in the open (as seen in the above picture) the bees are simply resting. In the center of the swarm will be the queen who is being protected by all the other bees. There will be scout bees out and about looking for a new home to go to. Ideally, they will find a hollow tree out in the bush to nest in.

Sometimes they find holes in the wall cavities of houses and apartment blocks, inside roof cavities, in letterboxes and compost bins. In most cases, there is no need to remove a bee swarm. Just leave the swarm alone and usually, they will move on in a couple of hours.

Where ever possible we will get a beekeeper to remove the bees.

However, they often land in high-traffic areas or where people at high risk of anaphylactic shock are present. For this reason, we may have to remove them.

Swarm removal

Where ever possible I will get a beekeeper to take the swarm away. A swarm can be removed provided the bees are kept calm. In certain cases, nests can also be taken away. If you have time a keeper can sometimes coax a hive into a new nesting box. For more information on swarms and be removal contact the WA Apiarists Society.

Often hives get into very difficult places where removal is impossible. In these cases, we have to dust the entrance sites to the nest which confuses the field bees and stops them from re-entering the nest. Unfortunately the workers inside the nest will be put down.

Bee swarms will often reclaim old nesting sites which have previously been treated. Because the dusting powder does not have a very long effect scout bees will pick up on the pheromones and also on the honey still in the old hive. They will then bring the rest of the swarm and move into a ready-made home.