As we move closer to spring and into early summer, you will notice more activity from bees as the queen will be breeding quickly. Swarming is a natural phenomenon exhibited by bees and is part of the natural reproductive life cycle of honey bee colonies. Colonies are stimulated to swarm during spring when warmer weather, when there is an abundance of nectar and pollen which provides ideal conditions for the colony to increase rapidly. When the colony becomes too large, the queen is replaced, and the original queen leaves the hive with around half the worker bees and a large amount of honey. The swarm will land on a tree or other solid structure near the old hive, and start scouting for a new one.
Swarming bees are actually non- threatening and the swarming behaviour is a natural means for bees to reproduce. While seeing a swarm of bees can be intimidating for some, it occurs when a colony has a new queen.
What to do if there is a bee swarm
If you can, leave them alone, as long as they have not swarmed in an area that threatens you or your home. The bees have done a lot of prep work before actually swarming and are on a mission to find a new home. As there are no baby bees to protect, the bees are relatively docile and aren’t likely to sting you. A swarm can contain from 1,500 to 30,000 bees including, workers, drones, and a queen. However if you do threaten them they may chase you, so watch from a safe distance!
Generally, the swarm won’t be there for long, and is often a transient resting point. They may be there a day or so, so the best approach is to leave them alone until they move on. We recommend letting them rest until they fly to their new colony. Scouts will leave the swarm to find a new hive location and will direct the swarm to the new location in a series of complex moves that guide bees to their new location!
Swarm catching
We are often asked about swarm catching and swarm removal. Bees may relocate in the most unusual places and sometimes they return to a previous swarm site. Often there may be another hive nearby.
There is a fee associated with swarm removal.
We assess each request depending on location and current situation.
Generally our callout fee is $100.00, however the price may vary and is determined by the complexity of the removal, the time required to remove the swarm, the location and distance travelled, specific equipment required and personal safety considerations. We ask that dogs are put away during swarm removal.
We may also decline your request for removal after assessment due to personal safety reasons or bee disease.
Please note: We do not remove bees from wall cavities of dwellings, nor extreme heights.
Bee movements
Swarms can transmit unwanted or even reportable pests and diseases.
All swarm catches and transporting of bees are reportable to PIRSA. You may be required to provide your address and contact details when removing bees swarm from your property. Assessing bee health and quarantining of bee swarms is integral to our catching process, and for the ongoing health of our hives.
