DIANA AND VIC FOUND A BEE'S NEST IN THEIR GARDEN AREA

It’s springtime in Southern USA and like many of us, the bees can’t wait to get out 

of their homes. You might see a sign of our striped friends in a nearby tree, or even 

gathered on fencing. Earlier this week we found this swarm hanging off a branch:

But don’t be alarmed! These bees are simply in the process of colony 

reproduction. When the colony becomes too large for its home it votes to decide if 

the colony should expand. If the bees collectively decide it’s a good idea, they go 

into prepping for their trip.  The queen lays a bunch of queen eggs, and then fasts 

to get smaller (she can fly better this way).  Meanwhile, the other bees gorge 

themselves on honey to make sure they stay full over the coming days. Once ready, 

the original queen and half of the colony fly off looking for a new home. The first 

baby queen to emerge will become the next leader of the colony and is left behind. 

 

The expedition for a new home starts fairly slowly. The queen can only fly a short 

distance, so she sets the pace for the trip. The bees stop somewhere nearby the 

original hive and swarm like the photo above. Somewhere at the center of this bee 

ball is their queen. Scout bees then fly out from this location to find an appropriate 

home. When the scouts return, they each pitch the benefits of their location 

through a dance. 

The colony observes all the dances and then sides with the most promising 

 

sounding one. Some bees may even fly off to the location, check it out for 

 

themselves and then come back to support the first scout’s recommendation. Once 

 

a suitable location is decided on they fly off to start building their new home. 

All of this may take anywhere from an afternoon to nearly a week, so don’t be 

 

surprised if you see a swarm hanging around for a while. 

At this swarming stage the bees have no hive to protect, and they are stuffed on 

honey, so they aren’t very aggressive. Think of how we feel after eating 

Thanksgiving dinner!  Just give them some space and enjoy the beauty of nature. 

  

If you do need the bees removed, or they start to build a hive somewhere 

 

inconvenient, reach out to a beekeeper in your area and they can safely remove the 

 

bees and find a more suitable home for them. 

Here’s to the bees! About 35% of the food we eat would not be here if it were not for these little pollinating ladies! 

Thanks Mrs. M for letting me guest write a post,

Diana

P.S. If I didn’t have a landlord I would 100% have caught these bees and started a little apiary in my yard. Ah well.