Why Bee Swarms Are So Important To Us
The Honey Bee Swam
The natural nesting site of honey bees is a sheltered, darkened enclosure. This could be in a tree hollow, attic, wall cavity space of a house, garage, within a porch roof, gas meter box, rabbit hutch or similar enclosure. Beekeepers keep their bee colonies in boxes called hives. Whether living in a hive or in the wall of a building, when a bee colony becomes too large or makes new queens to replace the existing queen, it divides by swarming. Swarming is part of the natural reproductive life cycle of honey bees. Warmer weather, combined with an abundance of nectar and pollen, stimulates the colony to increase in population and provides an ideal swarming environment.
The natural nesting site of honey bees is a sheltered, darkened enclosure. This could be in a tree hollow, attic, wall cavity space of a house, garage, within a porch roof, gas meter box, rabbit hutch or similar enclosure. Beekeepers keep their bee colonies in boxes called hives. Whether living in a hive or in the wall of a building, when a bee colony becomes too large or makes new queens to replace the existing queen, it divides by swarming. Swarming is part of the natural reproductive life cycle of honey bees. Warmer weather, combined with an abundance of nectar and pollen, stimulates the colony to increase in population and provides an ideal swarming environment.
One third of the Western diet relies on pollination to grow and 80% of this pollination is undertaken by the honey bee. We've taken this very much for granted in the past and have even exploited this feature by shipping bees to crop locations to improve yields. It's self evident that honey bees are a vital part of putting food on our tables.
Oddly enough, over the last 100 years many people have developed an irrational fear of the honey bee. Yet five hundred years ago half the households in the UK kept at least two or three bee hives and the honey bee was accepted as an important part of household life. The bee colony was held in such high esteem that superstition dictated that if a member of the household was born, died or married then the bees must be quickly told least they took offence and flew away.
Unfortunately, over the last decade the bee population within the UK have been in sharp decline, mostly due to a combination of imported diseases and, some believe, pesticide use.
Beekeepers across the UK have witnessed honey bee colony losses averaging 30% and there is increasing concern that many feral honey bee colonies are succumbing to disease and dying out.
The UK is not alone in this predicament. Across Europe and the US alarm bells are sounding as honey bee populations plummet and food yields drop. In the US, bees are now even being shipped from Australia in an attempt to make up for losses.
So preserving and protecting our dwindling honey bee stocks is important.
The UK is not alone in this predicament. Across Europe and the US alarm bells are sounding as honey bee populations plummet and food yields drop. In the US, bees are now even being shipped from Australia in an attempt to make up for losses.
So preserving and protecting our dwindling honey bee stocks is important.
A swarm of honey bees will cluster temporarily at one location while a few scout bees locate a new home. When a suitable location is found the swarm moves as a group to that new site; this can take hours or days.
If the bees are in a swarm and are in an accessible location, then they may be collected, checked for disease and then re-homed. However, bees nesting in buildings can be a great problem. Where there is no easy method of removing the bees, it may be necessary to kill them. If the bees have been using the same location for a while, the nest itself will need
If the bees are in a swarm and are in an accessible location, then they may be collected, checked for disease and then re-homed. However, bees nesting in buildings can be a great problem. Where there is no easy method of removing the bees, it may be necessary to kill them. If the bees have been using the same location for a while, the nest itself will need
to be removed as it will contain many pounds of honey and honey comb which will attract pests and other bees. In these situations, the services of a pest control company may be required.
To ensure that feral honey bee colonies and swarms are not unnecessarily destroyed use one of the swarm collection services list here.
Help protect our environment and the world our children inherit.
To ensure that feral honey bee colonies and swarms are not unnecessarily destroyed use one of the swarm collection services list here.
Help protect our environment and the world our children inherit.
