A swarm of honeybees hang from a branch while scout bees search for a new home. When swarming, honeybees are not aggressive.

Last week, I shared information with you in this column about fire ants and described how ants from existing mounds will leave to reproduce and then establish new mounds. As spring arrives, a similar event will be taking place with honeybees.

Fire ants are a nuisance and can cause serious harm to those who are sensitive to their bites. We need to do all we can to control them and to prevent them from establishing colonies around our homes. But honeybees are beneficial, so we need to do all we can to protect them.

Honeybees are the most important insect known to man. They are probably best known for the delicious honey they produce. But they add billions of dollars of income to our fruit and vegetable industry each year by pollinating plants as they gather nectar to make honey. Without pollination from honeybees, the yields of most of our fruits and vegetables would be drastically lower than they are. In fact, some vegetables would not produce at all if not pollinated by honeybees.

At this time of the year, hives of honeybees will often divide, creating what is commonly called a "swarm." When people encounter a swam of honeybees, they are often afraid and their first reaction is to do something to kill the bees.

Swarming is a natural occurrence for honeybees. Honeybees are social insects just like termites and ants. There is only one queen in a colony. The purpose of this queen is to lay eggs that will hatch to produce more bees to replace worker bees as they die off. Most of the eggs in a colony are females, and these females perform the duties of caring for eggs and the new bee larva as they hatch, caring for the hive, or exploring the countryside to gather nectar for the production of honey.

At certain times of the year, especially in the spring, an additional queen will often develop in a hive. This new queen is usually much stronger than the existing queen and will take over the colony. The old queen, along with those bees that are loyal to her, will leave the colony in search of a new home.

As the old queen and her loyal workers leave, they will travel across the countryside in one big swarm. Since she is not accustomed to flying, the queen can travel only short distances before she will need to pause to rest. All bees in her colony will pause with her, creating a huge cluster of bees clinging to a tree limb, post, mailbox, side of a building, or any other convenient place. As they rest, scouts will go out to find a good place to set up their new permanent residence. Some of the bees may venture out to gather nectar to feed the other bees. During this time, the bees are very docile and will rarely sting unless they are provoked.

Once a suitable site is located, the new colony will move into that site and begin the normal duties of a beehive. They begin making wax to construct cells which hold the honey and to provide sites for the queen to lay her eggs.

This new site may be in an abandoned vehicle or piece of farm machinery, a hollow tree, or even inside the walls of your home. Most times, these hives go unnoticed unless they become established in a building that is used by humans, such as a home, barn, or other outbuilding.

In recent years, hive beetles, wax beetles, and various kinds of mites have become severe problems for honeybees. When these pests become established in a hive, they can destroy the entire colony of bees. There are approved pesticides that can control these pests. Beekeepers can use these pesticides in their hives, but it is impossible to treat the native hives that are scattered throughout the countryside. Because of this, the number of native hives of honeybees has declined drastically.

This makes it even more important that we do all we can to help protect swarms of honeybees. Whenever possible, swarms of bees should be moved to a commercial hive that can be properly managed and protected by a beekeeper to protect them from pests.

We are fortunate that members of the Robeson County Beekeepers Association have taken a special interest in capturing swarms of honeybees and establishing them in commercial hives. If you encounter a swarm of bees hanging from your mailbox, from a tree limb in your yard, or anywhere else, please call the Cooperative Extension Service at 910-671-3276. Martin Brewington, one of our staff members, is coordinator for the Robeson County Beekeepers Association. He will coordinate with the members of this association to go to the location as quickly as possible to capture and relocate the swarm.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 04/03/06