Swarms

WHAT IS SWARMING

Swarming is a natural process of colony reproduction whereby the old Queen and about half the colony of worker bees leave their former home and seek an alternative new nest site.

WHEN DO SWARMS BEGIN

The process usually begins in spring, but can happen anytime from
April to September in Ireland.

THE PROCESS

Scout bees usually begin the process whereby certain ‘worker bees’ will identify a new site and report back to the hive that they have found a suitable location. All of this take place in over a period of a few days or weeks preceding the swarm season. Some people may see a single worker bee inspecting holes in roofs, attic openings, air vents, garden shed or even in chimneys. Sometimes multiple bees can be seen flying in an out of the potential hive site.

Swarms of bees are often described as a large cloud of bees that seem to drift through the air and for those not familiar with bees they often can become frightened by such a sight, which could number 2,000 to 20,000 bees. Swarms are unlikely to sting you but please take great care to avoid any potential allergic reactions.