Homeowners in Bloomingdale are sometimes surprised to step outside and find a cluster of thousands of honey bees hanging from a tree branch, a fence post or the corner of the house. It looks like an emergency, but in most cases it isn't. A honey bee swarm is a normal part of how colonies reproduce, and the bees are usually calm while they rest. Honey bees are also valuable pollinators, so the goal is to get them moved, not killed. Below, we'll explain why swarms happen, why one landed at your house and what to do next. If bees have already moved into a wall or soffit, our bee removal team can help you sort out the next steps.
What A Honey Bee Swarm Is
A honey bee colony is one big unit with a single queen. When a healthy colony gets crowded, usually in spring and early summer, it raises a new queen. Before she emerges, the old queen leaves the hive with a large share of the worker bees. That departing group is the swarm.
The swarm doesn't fly straight to a new home. It lands somewhere nearby and forms a tight cluster around the queen. From there, scout bees fly out to search for a suitable cavity, such as a hollow tree, a wall void or an empty space under a roof. Once the scouts agree on a site, the whole cluster lifts off and moves. That rest stop can last a few hours or a few days.
Why The Swarm Landed At Your Home
A swarm resting on your property usually just means there's a colony somewhere in the area, either a beekeeper's hive or a wild colony in a tree. The cluster needs a temporary place to hang on, and a branch, shrub, mailbox or eave works fine. It isn't a sign that you did anything wrong.
The bigger concern is when scouts pick your house as the permanent home. Honey bees look for dry, enclosed spaces, and gaps in siding, soffits, attic vents, chimneys and loose trim can all lead into one. If you see bees steadily flying in and out of the same gap in your home day after day, they've likely moved in.
Is It Honey Bees Or Something Else?
Honey bees are smaller than most people expect, about the size of a fingernail, with a fuzzy, golden-brown body and darker bands. Yellow jackets are bright yellow and black, smooth and shiny, and they don't form hanging clusters in the open. Paper wasps and hornets build papery nests instead. Our wasp, bee and hornet identification guide walks through the differences. Getting this right matters, because the advice for a honey bee swarm is very different from the advice for a wasp nest.
Are Swarming Bees Dangerous?
A swarm is usually the calmest group of honey bees you'll ever see. The bees have no comb, honey or young to protect while they're resting, and that's what honey bees defend most. That doesn't mean they can't sting. Bees will defend themselves if the cluster is sprayed, hit, shaken or crowded. Keep children and pets back, and anyone with a bee sting allergy should stay indoors until the bees are gone. If a sting causes swelling beyond the sting site or trouble breathing, see a doctor right away.
What To Do If You Find A Swarm
- Don't spray it. Insecticides, water from a hose and household sprays kill pollinators and can turn calm bees defensive.
- Don't try to move it yourself. Knocking a swarm down or smoking it out without the right gear can scatter the bees around your yard and home.
- Keep people and pets back and give the bees space.
- Contact a local beekeeper or a bee removal professional who does live removal. Many beekeepers are happy to collect a swarm that's hanging in the open, and the bees go on to a managed hive.
- Watch where it goes. If the swarm leaves on its own and you start seeing bees going in and out of your walls or roof, call a professional promptly.
When Bees Move Into Your Walls
An established colony inside a wall, ceiling or chimney is a bigger job than a swarm on a branch. The bees build wax comb and store honey. Even if the bees are gone, comb and honey left inside a wall can attract other insects and cause stains and odors. A proper removal usually means opening the area, taking the bees and comb out, cleaning up and sealing the entry. After that, closing gaps with home pest-proofing makes it much less likely a future swarm picks the same spot.
A honey bee swarm is a sign of healthy bees nearby, not an infestation. Leave it alone, keep your distance and get a beekeeper or bee removal pro involved. If bees have moved into the structure of your Bloomingdale home, EcoFusion Pest Control can inspect the area and help you choose a safe way forward.