It Is Swarm Season!!! - All About Honey Bee Swarms

Weather hanging from a tree, on a fence, on a fire hydrant or on a wall swarms are a unique natural phenomenon performed by honeybees all over the world. But what actually is a honeybee swarm? Glad you asked.  

                                           TWO METHODS OF REPRODUCTION

A beehive has two methods of reproduction.

The first is where the queen bee is laying about 1,500 eggs per day keeping the worker bee population constant.

The second method of reproduction is then the worker bees make the decision to swarm. Swarming is a natural process of a beehive that divides the colony into two separate colonies thereby reproducing itself. The decision to swarm is made when the beehives population is too much for the hive to handle. How does the swarming process work?

SWARMING PREPARATION

When the worker bees decide to swarm, they start feeding "royal jelly" which is a special food they provide to several larvae they select in the hive. This starts the process of creating queen cells to produce a multitude of queens. It takes 16 days for a queen to hatch from an egg.

Prior to the swarm deciding to leave the hive, the worker bees fill their honey stomachs to the brim. They will need this honey to produce bees wax for their new hive after they reach their finial destination.

OLD QUEEN LEAVES WITH HALF THE HIVE

Once the decision to leave is made, the old queen, leaves the hive with 50 to 60 percent of the hive. Wherever the queen lands is where the swarm will follow. This is what the public sees when they find a swarm, hanging from from a tree, on a fence, on a fire hydrant or on a wall. This first stop is just temporary location, where they will stay till they find their permanent resting spot. They can stay in this temporary location from and a few hours to a few days.

A Swam In Flight

FINDING A PERMANENT LOCATION

As soon as they are at their temporary location, scout bees are looking for their permanent home. Scout bees are looking for the "sweet spot" (pun intended). Several scout bees are performing this function. So as the scout bees return, they are communicating to the swarm their finds. Then the debate on which scout to follow for their finial home.

In Western New York, swarm season starts in mid-April and usually ends by July. However, I have seen swarms in July and August.

So, when you find a swam in Western New York, contact me at newmiesbees@verizon.net

Another view of the swarm in the garage.

EXAMPLES OF SWARMS FROM MY BEES

Perfect place for my bees to swarm, in my garage.