What is swarming and why do honey bees do it?

Swarming is the natural way honey bees propagate each spring. Toward the end of winter the queen bee begins laying eggs in larger numbers and the population of the hive grows. As plants begin producing pollen and nectar (the food bees eat) the population will grow by as much as 1,200 bees a day. When the hive becomes overly congested, the worker bees raise a new queen and the old queen flies away with half of the bee population in a swarm. It is an amazing sight to see when a hive swarms. Thousands of bees begin to exit the hive at once, fly through the air for a short distance, and then cluster on an object. This can be a tree, bush, or even your car. The cluster may assume any shape, though most hanging swarms will be round or oval and the size of a basketball. The clustering is temporary. Once settled, scout bees head out and search for a new home. While they’re looking for a suitable new home, these swarms sometimes hang out for several days. Their appearance — a dripping ball of stinging insects — can be menacing, but  honeybees are at their safest when exhibiting swarming behavior. If you find a honey bee swarm in your yard or home, don’t panic and don’t try to kill them. Either wait for the bees to peacefully move on, or call  Grateful Buzz  to safely remove the swarm without threatening your home or the honey bees.