Swarm season has arrived

Honey bees swarm during the spring as a natural means of reproduction. They are usually not aggressive during this time as they are just “shopping for a new home”. They will stay a short amount of time in a temporary location as the scouts look for a suitable new home for the 60% or so who have left the original nest. This swarm could be on a car bumper or at the top of a giant Oak. If you see a swarm of Honey bees please call your local beekeeper and do not harm them as they pollinate 30% of the food we eat. The survival rate of these clusters is only about 25% so they need the help you can give them. You can find a listing of local MSBA member Beekeepers on the Missouri State Beekeepers Association website at https://mostatebeekeepers.org/bee-swarms. You should also be able to reach out to your local bee keeping club or even call 911. Any beekeeper who would like to be on the MSBA swarm catcher list can join MSBA for just $10.00 a year. Visit the site listed above for more information.

Quoting from the MSBA web page, here is what you need to be prepared to tell an interested swarm catcher:

Are the insects definitely honey bees? This is very important.

If you’re not sure and you have a cell phone with a camera, try to take a photo of the swarm, or be able to describe the swarm and the insects in detail for the beekeeper.

How high up is the swarm?

What is the swarm hanging from?

Is the swarm easily accessible?

How large is the swarm?

How long has the swarm been there?

People have been known to confuse Yellow Jackets with Honey Bees. There is a big difference in the two. Yellow Jackets live in the ground and are aggressive. Honey bees live in hives or trees and are not usually aggressive. This is why it is best to locate a Beekeeper who knows the difference and has the proper equipment to deal with them. The bees are given a new home and continue to do what they do best – pollinate.

People often ask what they can do to save these beneficial and beautiful insects, and the answer is simple. Cut back on poisons, herbicides, fungicides, etc. and plant native plants. Look at “weeds” as pollinator food. If it blooms, then consider it pollinator food rather than a “weed”. Let the fence lines and road sides go wild between April and October. The profusion of color from wild flowers is much more beautiful than the boring expanse of grass.