Honey Bee Swarms
Honey bee swarms are one of the most one fascinating natural behaviors of honey bees. Seeing one for the first time or the thousandth time can be quite exhilarating. Whether you are a beekeeper or a nature enthusiast- who can help but appreciate the majesty of mass bee flights. In this article, you will learn why do bees swarm and the triggers that cause thousands of honey bees to leave their home. Also, the role honey bee swarms play in the natural survival of these insects.
As a beekeeper with years of experience, I am still amazed by the intricacies of specific honey bee behaviors. I don’t always know why they are doing something but rest assured that the bees feel their actions are necessary.
What Is Swarming in Honey Bees?
Swarming is an essential part of the honey bee colony’s life cycle. It is the process where a single colony (family) of bees splits into two or more different colonies.
During a bee swarm, a large group of the bees (often about half the colony) leaves the hive along with a queen (usually the old queen).
This is an awe-inspiring and spectacular sight as thousands of bees take to the air in a buzzing mass.
Usually, the swarm will settle nearby on a tree limb or bush and hang in a clump. Now, the bees (including the queen) rests until the bees reach an agreement on the location of their new home. Then, the entire honey bee swarm flies away to create their new home.
The Swarming Process: Step by Step
Though it may seem to happen instantly, swarms don’t just happen. The colony begins preparations weeks before the event.
- preparing to swarm
- queen cell production
- departure of the swarm
Swarm Preparation
Many activities take place inside and outside the hive before any swarm occurs. Workers serving as scout bees will seek out possible nesting sites.
If you are a beekeeper, you want to attract these bees to your swarm trap. You hope they will select your trap as the best location.
Back at the hive, the queen must be slimmed down and prepared for flight. Worker bees feed her less so she can slim down and get that big booty off the ground. Her egg laying will also slow down right before leaving.
Queen Cell Production
One of the most well-known facts about a queen bee is that every colony must have one. In most cases the old queen is leaving with the swarm, the mother colony needs a replacement.
During swarm preparation, workers prepare cells (queen cups) for the queen to lay fertilized eggs. Once the egg is laid – these are called “queen cells“.
As the queen larvae developed these peanut shaped queen cells can grow quite large. Several queen cells are started but ultimately only one queen will survive to rule.
Departure from the Hive
On a warm day usually between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. the hive becomes very active. A strange roar can be heard inside as workers rush around in a frenzy – chasing the queen until she is willing to leave.
The bee swarm often settles down somewhere near the hive – often a nearby tree, bush or other natural structure. But, sometimes their choice can be very surprising such as a mail box, a fence or a car!
Over the next few hours (or days) scouts fly out and back from possible new homes. They return to the cluster and perform bee dances – trying to recruit others to vote for the location they have found.
When a consensus is reached, the entire ball of bees will explode into flight and off they go towards their new home.
The Swarm Season
Spring is considered the most active swarm season for honey bees. This is a natural time of buildup with many flowers for honey bees providing nectar and pollen.
But, they can occur anytime during the warm months. I find it hard to understand why my beehives swarm in Fall – most late season swarm don’t survive.
Be proactive and set up swarm traps or bait hives ahead of the season. Try several different types of swarm lures until you find one that works in your area.
Why Beekeepers Try to Manage Swarms
As a beekeeper, I love seeing a wild swarm – or any swarm actually – as long as, they come out of someone else’s hive. It is a fact that most colonies that swarm will produce less honey for that season.
Swarming is also risky for colonies. Not every swarm lives to thrive and develop into a strong colony – even with beekeeper help.
You will hear of numerous methods for preventing swarms in honey bees. This is something we all try to achieve – although with varying levels of success.
We commonly watch for the first signs of queen cell development or even bees backfilling the brood nest – both occur before swarming.
Many beekeeping books are full of tactics that work some of the time. None of them work all the time.
Beekeepers involved in urban beekeeping must be extra vigilant about swarm control. People unaccustomed to honeybees tend to get excited over this.
What to Do if You See a Swarm
A honey bee swarm is normally no cause for alarm. If you leave them in peace, the bees will likely move on to another location in a day or so.
On occasion, a swarm will get stuck and fail to move on. In this case, it is good to contact a local beekeeping association and see if a beekeeper will help. Most colonies do not survive the winter on exposed honey comb.
Now, if you are a beekeeper – of course, you want to catch the bee swarm and set them up in a nice hive.
Key Facts
- different beekeeping terms are used to describe swarming – A hive “casts a swarm”, “throws a swarm”, “a swarm issues from” – you pick, they all mean the same thing – the bees are leaving!
- colonies can swarm more than once – the prime swarm is the first and typically largest swarm
- second or “after swarms” are more likely to have several virgin queens in the swarm
- we don’t know for sure what is the final trigger than makes the bees swarm today and not tomorrow
- bee swarms are docile unless provoked
- if you live in an area with Africanized Honey Bees – be extra cautious
FAQs
A bee swarm is not evidence of migration. In a swarm event, roughly half of the population stays in the original beehive. There is no back and forth traveling between the old home and the new one.
No, in general honey bee swarms are very docile and pose no danger to the public. Do not disturb them – keep kids and pets away.
A swarm will not leave without a queen – but the swarm may contain one or more virgin queens who have not mated yet.
If a swarm of honey bees attacks – quickly walk away and get to an interior space – inside a house or even in a car. It is better to be in the car with 10 bees than outside with 10,000.
Final Thoughts
Bee swarms are exciting. I remember my biggest swarm catch like it was yesterday. Perhaps, we beekeepers spend too much time trying to prevent swarms. Our best hope is to work with the natural tendencies of the colony. Take a moment to appreciate the majesty of the process and if you are lucky enough to witness a swarm – wish the bees good luck.
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