Seeing a swarm of bees slowly moving through the air can be a very intimidating sight. Although a bee swarm can be dangerous to those that are allergic to stings, in most cases bee swarms are docile and don’t pose a threat to humans.
A bee swarm is a bee’s method of reproduction. It usually happens in the spring with the old queen and half of the worker bees leaving the nest to find a new home. This large group of bees flying in a cloud shape, that seems to float through the air, can contain up to 20,000 bees. Although these swarms can seem pretty scary, the chances of them stinging someone are actually pretty low. In most of our areas bee swarms consist of European Honey Bees, which are very docile. Our branch in Las Vegas deals with Africanized Honey Bees which are much more aggressive.
A bee swarm will travel normally between 100-200 yards away from the original hive while looking for a home. It will send out “scouts” that break off from the swarm and try to locate an ideal location for the new nest.
While a bee swarm is not much of a danger if left alone they can become defensive if aggravated by outside forces such as being hit with a stick or sprayed with a hose. (Can’t say I really blame them there) They are also not much of a danger to homes unless they decide to create their new colony in a crevice on the outside of a home or a nearby tree. If a bee swarm does decide to make their new home on the outside of yours it’s important to get them removed quickly.
Senske Services has trained technicians that know how to handle a bee swarm. Contact us if you need stinging insect control and we’ll be happy to come take a look at your home, as well as let you know how we can help with the problem.
