INDIANA – In late spring, honeybee colonies begin to exhibit a behavior called swarming.
According to the Department of Natural Resources swarming is the process that bees use to multiply themselves. A single bee, even a queen, can not survive on its own so they live in a group called a colony also known as a superorganism.
Swarming is the process by which honey bee colonies reproduce to form new colonies. When a honey bee colony outgrows its home, becomes too congested, or is too populated for the queen’s pheromones to control the entire workforce, then the workers signal that it is time to swarm.
Each spring, a colony will build up pollen and honey stores. The queen will then lay fertilized eggs fed a diet exclusively of royal jelly to produce new queens. When these soon-to-be queens are close to hatching, the original queen and about 60 percent of the hive will swarm.
Swarming begins when the old queen leaves the hive and lands on a nearby object and the rest of the swarm congregates around her. This is called bivouacking, as shown in the photo. During this phase, the bees are usually very relaxed and do not show any signs of aggression.
Certain bees in the swarm are scouts and will search for a new cavity within to nest. The main body of the swarm will wait until the scouts have found a suitable site. The whole colony will then leave in mass for the new nest location.
If you see a swarm either flying or resting, nothing needs to be done as they will leave within a few hours to a couple of days. If they are in a high-traffic location or other areas where someone is worried about being stung, you can contact a local beekeeper using the DNR swarm list. Many beekeepers will come out to collect the swarms and move them to an apiary.
