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Honey Bee Swarms |
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Bee Swarm Retrieval/Removal |
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Harris County Beekeepers Association |
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HCBA members, Chris Baca and Glenn Bertrand, removing a bee swarm in the Bay Area. |
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The Harris County Beekeepers Association maintains a list of association members available for phone calls relating to the retrieval of honey bee swarms. To access our “Swarm Call” list, click here. If a honey bee swarm has moved inside a structure, such as a home or garage, etc., the beekeepers on the “Swarm Call” list may recommend that you contact a professional bee removal service. Links to some local area bee removal services are available on our “Related Links” page for your convenience only—HCBA does not endorse these companies. Please consult your phone book for additional professionals. |
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About Honey Bee Swarms |
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“Swarming” is a natural occurrence among honey bees. To be more specific, a honey bee colony has split itself in half, and one half has left the hive to begin a new colony in a different location. There are many reasons for swarming – the hive may have become overpopulated and congested; the colony has become diseased or is starving, or in some instances natural causes such as a forest fire may prompt the entire colony to swarm. The purpose of the act of swarming, no matter what the cause, is to perpetuate species. In general, the bees are docile when swarming as they have filled their stomachs with honey in preparation for a long journey. When their stomachs are full it is difficult for bees to sting. Additionally, there is no nest to defend. But, it is still prudent to be careful around the swarm. If you come upon one by accident, quietly move away from the swarm and leave it alone. When a swarm exits its originating hive, it may rest on a nearby object, such as a tree limb, awaiting communication from the swarm’s “scouts” as to a possible new hive location and then off they all fly to new “digs”. Swarms may also be found hanging from other objects, such as picnic tables, under the eaves of structures, etc. The swarm will typically move on within 24 hours. The problem begins if the scouts cannot find an optimal location for the swarm to re-locate to permanently. In this case, the swarm will move into the nearest protected area for self preservation. This is not always conducive to good neighbor relations as oftentimes its someone’s attic, garage, mailbox, AC unit, etc. As can be seen in the pictures to the right, when bees nest they create large amounts of honey comb and fill it with brood and food stores (honey and pollen). The nests can easily get quite large and begin causing problems within the structure itself from dripping honey and weight. To cure the problem, both the bees and the honey comb must be removed. Otherwise, the honey comb if left behind will attract another swarm of bees, or other insects, including ants and roaches, and will cause mold and mildew to form in and around the nest, as well. |
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Swarm on trampoline. |
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Swarm in cable box. |
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Honey bee next in eave of house. |
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Honey bee next in floor of garage. |
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Protecting Your Home From Bee Swarms |
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The most important step is to prevent honey bees from entering a home or other building. Block all holes where pipes and wiring enter, cracks in window framing, knot holes in wood siding, weep holes in bricks, and cracks where wood and brick join. Most of these holes can be filled with caulking, but holes necessary for air |
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flow should be blocked with wire screen. The screen mesh should be less than 1/8 inch. Chimneys should be properly capped. Removing a honey bee nest from inside a structure can easily cost hundreds of dollars, so prevention is the best solution. Honey bees that have moved into a structure should be removed as quickly as possible. The longer you delay, the more difficult the job is and the greater the possible damage to the structure. |