What is a swarm?

A swarm is a group of bees with a queen bee in migration or flight to establish a new colony.  When bees swarm, they fly from their hives (wooden boxes) or from spaces like trees to find a new home. 

Why do honey bees swarm?

Bees can swarm at most any time for lots of reasons.  They will especially swarm in the spring through the early fall.  One prime reason honey bees swarm is because the queen starts laying lots of eggs in the hive.  As the bees keep hatching and multiplying their numbers, the nest becomes too crowded.  Before long, the bees will build queen cells, and once a new queen emerges, the old queen will leave the hive and take up to half the worker bees with her to find a new home.  That's called swarming.  The picture above shows honey bees that swarmed and landed on a property marker in Danville, Virginia.  But they can also leave the hive for other reasons such as problems in or near their hive; pests like ants, animals like skunks, failing equipment, too much honey and not enough nest, a bad location, etc.  Instead of swarming, that's called absconding.

Where do honey bees go when they swarm?

It just depends.  Honey bees aren't always particular about where they go.    Sometimes bees will land on your lawn furniture or on fences, trees, lamp posts, bushes, bird houses, car bumpers, air conditioner housings, etc.  That's when they become a nuisance for people who don't want them around.  It may be fine for the bees but not so good for people.  

What should you do if you see a swarm of bees?

First of all, don't panic!  Honey bees in a swarm or "ball" are very gentle at this stage [after all, they don't have a nest to protect].  If you see a swarm of honey bees anywhere, the best thing you can do is leave them alone, then contact a beekeeper like me immediately.  The faster you contact a beekeeper, the better it is for everybody!

What should you NOT do if you see a swarm of bees?

Please don't kill them unless someone is in immediate danger!  Until a beekeeper can arrive, its always best to keep curiosity seekers, children and animals away from them.  While honey bees will only sting as a last resort, usually protecting themselves or their nest, they're still wild and can be unpredictable if they become agitated.  The best advice is to just leave them alone and they'll be fine until they can be moved.

Will you come get a swarm if I find one?

YES!  I am always looking for honey bee swarms in Rockingham County, North Carolina [which includes Reidsville, Eden, Madison, Mayodan and Stoneville].  If I can get them, I'll take them away and you pay absolutely nothing.  My reward is that I get to keep the bees.  You're happy and I'm happy! 

Are there any rules for you to come get the bees?

Yes.  I am looking for honey bees easily accessible from the ground or near the ground.  That includes low trees, bushes, lawn furniture, bird houses, etc.  If I can get to the bees, I'll take them away.

What if I have bees inside my house?

If the honey bees are inside a wall or in a structure like a chimney, I personally won't be able to help you.  But I do have connections to area beekeepers who might remove them from your walls and flooring for free or maybe for a small fee.  The last thing you should do is kill them.  If they have a large nest in the wall and a lot of honey stored, it could  all melt and you'll end up with a huge mess which could include a rotting nest and honey seeping through the walls or ceiling.  In turn, that attracts rodents like rats and mice and insects like ants and roaches.  As long as the bees are alive, they will keep the nest cool and things should be okay.  Even though I don't remove honey bees from structures, give me a call and I'll try to connect you with a beekeeper that can help you. Click here to see a video of just how big a honey bee nest can get once they get inside the wall of a house.

What about other kinds of stinging insects?

I can only help you with honey bees. If you have hornets, yellow jackets, wasps, bumble bees, carpenter bees or other stinging insects, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you.  You'll have to handle that yourself or call a pest control service located in the yellow pages.  Just be careful if you decide to handle it yourself.  Hornets, yellow jackets, wasps and other stinging insects can be very aggressive and will attack with little provocation. 

How can I contact you to come get a swarm of honey bees?

If you find a swarm of honey bees and want it removed, I am usually able to help out.  Time is of the essence, so please contact me without delay. Sometimes honey bees will swarm from their hive, land on an object, then leave again in a very short amount of time.  That's because while the majority of the swarm is resting on a limb or on some other object, the  "scout" bees are busy looking for a new permanent location.  And once they find it, they'll leave.  It isn't uncommon for honey bees to swarm twice in the same day. 

It is very easy to reach me by using the method below: 

*Simply call Mark's Honey Bee Hotline at 336-612-1BEE [that's 336-612-1233].

*Be prepared to tell me the location where the bees can be found.

*If I can't answer, leave a voicemail including your name and phone number.

*I can usually return phone calls within a few minutes.

In case you haven't heard from me within 15 minutes, please feel free to try again.  If  a half-hour goes by and you still haven't heard from me, its possible that I am unavailable to respond at that time.  But I will call you back as soon as possible to see if the bees are still at your location.