HONEY BEE SWARMS

Bees swarming is a natural occurrence which is a part of their reproductive cycle. Honey bees are the only type of bees that swarm.

Swarming season across New Zealand can begin as early as August and runs through until January.

One of the main reasons for bees swarming is overcrowding of the hive due to the queen laying more eggs thanks to warm weather and an increase of flowers and pollen.

The queen and anywhere between 5,000 to 20,000 worker bees will leave the hive and land in gardens or sometimes in even more obscure places. The bees hang in a mass around the queen keeping her warm and ensuring she is safe.

If you find a bee swarm the best thing to do is leave it alone and call a beekeeper to collect it in a safe manner. Don’t worry, bees in a swarm are not aggressive or inclined to sting unless provoked.

DO’S

• Call a trained swarm collector from the list below. A beekeeper who can collect swarms will assess the swarm and remove it safely with no harm to the bees.

Scroll down to find a swarm collector near you.

DON’TS

• Spray it with insecticide. This can make the bees sick or at the very worst kill them
• Assume they are wasps. Bees and wasps can look similar, remember if they are bees they can be saved. Wasps should be killed in a controlled manner by an exterminator or a beekeeper who knows how to eradicate wasps.

BUMBLE BEE NESTS

For information on bumble bee nest removal, click here. Beekeepers don’t generally deal with the removal of bumble bee nests.