What should you do if you find a Honeybee swarm?
Swarming is the way in which Honeybees reproduce at a colony level. When a Honeybee colony gets too big it will raise a new queen, and the old queen will leave the hive with half the flying bees. This is called a swarm. A Honeybee swarm will be made up of 10,000 to 20,000 bees!
Swarms can seem quite intimidating but in most cases it is the time when the bees are at their most docile - their only focus is finding a new home.
A beekeeper will be able to "collect" the swarm and rehome to a hive where they will be able to flourish. We have swarms which are now established colonies at our apiaries.
Swarms can be confused with Bumblebees or even Wasps nest so if you can take a picture and send to the Beekeeper to help identify them.
If you come across a swarm in Thatcham, Newbury or the wider West Berkshire area feel free to contact us or the Newbury and District Beekeeping Association who will be happy to help!
Most Honeybee swarm collectors won't charge you for the service.