As the temperate Spring weather finally arrives you will no doubt start to spot bee’s going about their business. It’s the time of year when we begin to receive messages that say, “I have a honeybee swarm, please help!”.
Many insects, but especially bee’s play a critical role in the ecosystem and are a vital part of fruit and vegetable production, and the pollinating activities help keep the flowers blooming throughout the season.
Whilst relatively uncommon in urban environments, honeybee swarms have been known to wreak havoc from time to time as you can see in this article, when bees swarmed a shop window in London’s Victoria Street. Therefore, it’s important to know the steps to take to control a swarm of bees, as their stings can be a health threat and sometimes even fatal to certain people.
I have a honeybee swarm, help!
Bee colonies form over a period, and you may have stumbled upon a honeybee swarm nesting in a tree, under the eaves of your home or even within your attic. If the swarm is near frequented areas, this can pose a serious threat to children, adults and even pets, especially those that suffer from severe allergic reactions to stings.
Bee swarms often happen because the colony has gotten too large, the queen will leave the nest and thousands of workers will follow to help form a new colony. These swarms can happen any time in late spring and throughout the summer months.
If you’ve spotted a bee swarm near your property or in your garden, it’s imperative you keep your distance. Whilst bees typically aren’t aggressive unless provoked, they may sting when swarming, and if you or someone in your household has sever allergies to stings, the swarm will need to be dealt with promptly by contacting either a local beekeeper association, or a professional pest control company such as Go-Pest.
Please don’t be tempted to deal with the swarm yourself. This can not only be very dangerous, but bee populations have also been in decline so it’s important to preserve the insects whenever possible.
If the location of the swarm doesn’t pose an immediate threat, then it is safe to leave the swarm alone and will eventually disperse.
I can’t find a beekeeper or pest control company that can get here in time. What should I do?
As a last resort if the bees pose an immediate threat, you can spray a bee swarm with a weak soapy water mixture (pour about 10 ml of liquid detergent into a bucket of water). Ideally wait until the twilight hours when the bee activity starts to subside before spraying the swarm. Aerosol wasp and hornet sprays are more likely to irritate and agitate the bees before they die, increasing the chances of being stung. Just be aware that spraying a honey bee swarm is a risky operation because of the large number of bees, so please contact a local beekeeper or pest control company first before attempting this method.
Need help dealing with a swarm of bees? Contact the experts at Go-Pest today for fast an efficient bee removal service in London and the surrounding areas.
