Swarm

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Abbi1977
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Joined: June 18th, 2017, 6:46 am

Swarm

Unread post by Abbi1977 »

There seems to be a swarm of honeybees in the empty field behind my yard. I can hear the buzz and see hundreds of honeybees (not in a ball) grazing on some bushes near the porch. My home is located in a very rural spot and while i don't have the time or resources to be a beekeeper, i wouldn't mind if they stayed, so long as they don't become aggressive. Is their anything I can do to help them?
Allen Dick
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Location: Swalwell, Alberta
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Re: Swarm

Unread post by Allen Dick »

You don't say where you are, so we cannot offer specific advice. Your best action is to call a local beekeeper ASAP.

Once they settle, they will then move into a new home, which could be somewhere nobody notices or cares -- or it could be the side of your house or your garden shed.

A beekeeper will know what to do.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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BadBeeKeeper
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Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 2:01 pm
Location: Penobsot County, Maine

Re: Swarm

Unread post by BadBeeKeeper »

What you are describing does not sound like a 'swarm'. A swarm would be a very large number of bees (typically 10s of thousands) rather than hundreds, which *would* look like a 'ball' (misshapen) when they clustered on a branch or other object while waiting for scouts to locate a new home.

What you are describing sounds like normal foraging by bees who have found a very good source of nectar- this often occurs on my lilac bushes in the Spring, the blooms are covered by hundreds of bees and the buzzing is audible from a number of feet away.

There is nothing you can do to 'help' them, it sounds like they are helping themselves quite well to the nectar from the bushes you have provided and that is likely all that they need from you. They probably already have a home not far away. Enjoy.
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