There is a neighborhood watch group Facebook page for the neighborhood in which I live. A few days ago someone posted a video of a swarm of bees attached to the wall near her front door. As a county agent, I was impressed as I was reading the advice she was given by our neighbors.
Last year around this same time I was visiting a client regrading her grass. As we were walking from around the side of the house, she noticed this big brown ball attached to her fence. I was chosen to go and check it out. As I inched closer, I noticed it was a swarm of bees. I told her not to be alarmed by them. The were just resting and would be moving on soon. About ten minutes later they did moved on. They picked up and flew toward the neighbor’s yard. In the process a lot of them flew right through my vehicle (I had all four truck windows down). Upon leaving the client, I made a thorough check of the vehicle to see if there were any left behind.
During the winter, honey bee colonies reproduce and this process is called swarming. The colony becomes crowded and a new queen is raised in the process. The old queen leaves and is accompanied by more than half of the bees. They set off to find a new, permanent nesting site. Along the way they may rest in trees, on fences, walls, fire hydrants or on other objects forming a round or oval shape about the size of a basketball.
Honeybees are an important pollinator for vegetables, fruits and flowers. If you come across one of these swarms, leave them along and wait for them to move on. If there is a potential for harm to children, your pests or neighbors call your local beekeepers’ association. Someone will come out and collect them at no charge or for a small fee. Your local Extension Office will have a list of beekeepers that they can share with you.
So the next time you come across a swarm, enjoy it, but keep your distance and maybe take a photo or video. They will eventually move on.
