Swarming is a natural reproductive phenomenon where a large group of honey bees, along with the old queen, departs from an established colony to find a new home. This process allows a single colony to multiply by splitting into two distinct social units. Occurring typically in spring and early summer, swarming is a necessary part of the bee life cycle, allowing the population to spread and adapt to new environments.
Why Bees Initiate a Swarm
The primary force driving a swarm is colony reproduction. A honey bee colony reproduces by physically dividing itself, allowing both the departing group and the remaining hive to establish new, functioning colonies. This division is often triggered by internal conditions indicating the existing hive is robust enough to split.
Overcrowding is a significant factor, especially when there is an abundance of nectar and pollen available. When the density of bees becomes too high, the queen’s pheromone, which normally stabilizes the colony and suppresses the development of new queens, becomes diluted. This dilution signals to the workers that the time is right to prepare for a split.
The preparation phase involves the construction of specialized queen cells, typically located on the edges of the honeycomb. The existing queen lays eggs in these larger cells, and worker bees feed the developing larvae royal jelly. The presence of these developing new queens, particularly once the first cells are capped, is the final trigger for the old queen and a portion of the workers to depart and leave the remaining hive to the new queens.
The Step-by-Step Swarming Process
The swarming process begins with preparation, where worker bees scheduled to leave gorge themselves on honey to fuel the journey until a new nest is established. The old queen, restricted in her feeding by workers beforehand, is light enough to fly long distances, and she departs with roughly half the worker population.
Immediately after leaving the original hive, the bees settle relatively close by, often within 20 to 30 meters, clustering on a temporary surface like a tree branch or fence post. This temporary cluster serves as a staging area while scout bees search for a permanent cavity. These scouts, which are older, experienced foragers, investigate potential locations such as knotholes or wall cavities.
Upon returning to the cluster, successful scouts perform a waggle dance on the swarm’s surface to communicate the location, distance, and quality of the potential nest site. Through this collective decision-making process, multiple scouts advertise their findings until a quorum is reached, usually when approximately 80% agree on the best location. Once the final decision is made, the entire clustered swarm takes flight and is guided to the new home by the scouts flying overhead.
Swarm Safety and Handling
Swarms are generally docile and non-aggressive, especially during the temporary clustering phase. The bees are focused on finding a new home and have no stored food, brood, or established nest to defend. They are also full of honey from their departure preparations and are therefore less inclined to sting.
If a swarm lands on your property, leave the bees completely alone while observing them from a safe distance of at least 10 to 15 feet. Do not disturb the cluster with water, pesticides, or loud noises, as agitation can make the bees defensive and cause them to scatter.
Because they are in transit and can be relocated alive, the best solution is to contact a local beekeeper or a specialized swarm removal service immediately. Beekeepers can safely capture and relocate the swarm into a managed hive, which prevents the bees from establishing a colony in an undesirable location, such as a wall void or chimney. Acting quickly is helpful, as swarms can begin building a permanent nest within one to three days of clustering.