What to Do When There’s a Swarm of Bees

We’re use to a “SWARM of Bs” in our neighborhood, but these days it’s important to note that when real honeybees swarm, there’s no need to panic.

Neighbor Alan Bennett was right to be calm about a swarm that appeared on a wall in his yard on Sunday. Someone told him that the bees, who have broken off from a hive to create their own new hive, will only swarm in one place for about a day before moving on to someplace else. But when they hadn’t moved along by Wednesday, he realized it might be time to find someone who could help.

That someone was local beekeeper Todd Scott, who recently sold the hives he kept around the neighborhood so that he could spend more time with his newborn son. Even so, he’s got experience in collecting swarms, so Todd brought a hive and his equipment to Alan’s house and got to work.

“There are probably about 12,000 to 14,000 bees in there,” Todd said as the bees were setting up shop in their new hive. “When they break off from their old hive, they’re just looking for a new home. A swarm is nothing to be worried about. They don’t have a hive yet, so they’re not defending anything, and honeybees are only defensive, not agressive.”

Apparently this isn’t the only swarm that’s been spotted in our area lately. Todd said he had heard of one on Ocean Parkway, where people had roped off a section of sidewalk, and neighbor Mike Sheehan has a few great photos of one he saw recently on Argyle Road.

Alan’s swarm was collected as the sun went down, but now Todd’s got yet another hive that he needs to find a home for. If you’re interested in keeping a hive, Todd can get you started with not only this hive, but information and helpful tips. Contact him for more info at 917-841-7776.