See Bees Swarming? Don’t Panic, Call A CNY Beekeeper

Spring has finally arrived and that means bees are getting ready to form new hives. This is done first by swarming. If you see this happening don't panic, here's what to do.

First, here is what exactly is happening when you see a swarm according to Molly's Bees Honey:

Swarming is the way that hives naturally reproduce. When a hive is strong enough and has a good population of bees, they will produce a new Queen, then the old queen will leave the hive and take half of the bees with her, leaving the new queen and the remaining bees behind. If you happen to see a swarm of bees, DO NOT PANIC! A swarm of bees is very docile, as they have no hive, no eggs and no honey to protect.

One thing you should definitely NOT do is spray them with pesticides. Not only will that kill and further reduce the endangered bee population, but you could cause the entire swarm to become aggressive and nobody wants that.

The best idea is to call a professional beekeeper to have them come and remove the swarm by finding and relocating the queen bee.

Here in Central New York there are several options for beekeepers thanks to the Mid-York Beekeeper Association.

Their 'resources page' has a list of keepers that are trained and available to help you, with beekeepers located in Syracuse, Clinton, Marcy, Rome, Westmoreland, Camden and Newport.

Remember, bees are important to agriculture and we all like to eat.

You can find more information about bees, beekeeping and swarm removal from the Mid-York Beekeepers Association.

Here's a video of a swarm being removed from an SUV:

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