Sandra Palmer-Snellin of the East Dorset Beekeepers Association explains why your local beekeeping association should be the first call you make
On a warm, late spring or early summer’s day, imagine the low buzz of busy bees, not one or two, but hundreds. Honeybees swarm at this time of year. You may see a rugby ball shape of little bees has alighted on a tree or shrub in the garden, this is known as a cluster. They have also been known to settle on picnic tables, shed roofs, bird tables and even garden gates!
This incredible natural event happens because the honeybees have decided to find a new home.
A colony of bees prepares to swarm when they are running out of room in their original hive, probably because they are doing very well raising baby bees. The queen bee is taking half of the hive with her to find a new home. That could be between 1,500 and 30,000 bees including workers (female bees) and drones (male bees). If this happens in your garden, don’t panic.
The good news, and most interestingly, is that the bee’s little tummies will be engorged with honey for their flight, so they will be in a fairly docile state. In addition, they do not have a home to defend.
Steps you can take
Even though the bees are in a mellow mood, it is sensible to keep your distance. Ensure children and pets stay indoors. Most bees only sting if they feel threatened, for example, you start swatting them or accidently disturb them. Remember, these vital pollinators need care at this point and not a pest controller. It is much better for the bees’ survival if you phone your local beekeeping association to collect the swarm. East Dorset Beekeepers Association (EDBKA) have a swarm coordinator who can be contacted via our website.
Usually, a swarm will stay in place for a few hours, perhaps even a day or two, before their scout bees come back to tell them about a perfect permanent nest they’ve found for the colony to set up their new home.
Our swarm coordinator has access to a team of passionate beekeepers who can help with safely rehoming your swarm. Even if they are working and cannot come immediately, there will be a network of trained swarm collectors happy to remove them carefully for you, for free.
Your trained swarm collector will ask various questions to help identify if you have honeybees, or if you are describing the nest of wasps or hornets. They may also ask you to forward a photo if you are unsure. Provide as much detail about the location of the swarm as possible. For example, ‘The swarm is 8 feet up in my apple tree’, so we know that we need to bring a ladder along with the other equipment.
The swarm collector will arrange to pop over if they are honeybees (if it is wasps or hornets we work with Frank Hayes, South Coast Pest Control on 07525 337472). EDBKA swarm collectors cover the Isle of Purbeck, within the circle of Bovington, Bere Regis, Sturminster Marshall, Witchampton, Wimborne, Verwood, Ringwood, Ferndown, West Moors, Parley, Ensbury Park, Poole, Hamworthy and Wareham; view an interactive map at edbka.org.uk/swarm.
If you’re in wider Dorset, please do get in touch as we can probably put you in touch with a friendly beekeeper we know or visit the British Beekeepers’ website (bbka.org.uk) to find someone in your area.
Pest control to manage a swarm should be an absolute last resort, for instance if the bees have taken up home within the structure of a property and cannot be dealt with safely by a beekeeper.
If you are interested in beekeeping, then find out more at edbka.org.uk
