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Contents HOME BEE SCHOOL CALENDAR NEWS CLUB PHOTOS LIST SERVER LIBRARY SWARMS FOR SALE NEWSLETTERS |
Honeybee Swarm Information
If you have a swarm, you may call us, however please read below and
make sure they are HONEY BEES first and not something else.
We are not exterminators! SWARMSSwarming is part of the natural reproductive life cycle of honey bees. The swarming season in Massachusetts usually begins in June and can last through August. Warmer
weather, combined with an abundance of nectar and pollen
stimulate the colony to increase in population. This causes
over-crowding which prompts some bees to swarm so they can reproduce.
Swarms usually emerge from the colonies between 10:00am and 2:00pm on
warm sunny days. The old queen together with about half of the bees from the
colony, leave the hive and cluster on a nearby object such as a fence or a
small shrub.
The swarm may remain for a few hours or one to two days while scout
bees search for a permanent nesting site. Once found, the swarm
will move to this site and establish a new colony. Bee swarms are NOT
normally aggressive because they are gorged full of honey and homeless, which
reduces their defensive behavior. A swarm will become increasingly defensive,
if provoked, the longer it remains in a given location. In the original
colony, a new queen emerges and continues to maintain the parent colony.
Below you will find a list of Essex County Beekeepers Association members that
are willing to assist in the removal of swarms, answer bee related questions
or point you in a direction to help resolve any bee related issue you may have.
Beekeepers are listed by town for the general geographical area they are
willing to respond to.
Please be aware that in some instances the physical location of the swarm
may present challenges. For example, if a swarm is too high in a tree,
retrieval may not be a reasonable or safe option. Swarms located in
structures or otherwise concealed may require the skills of qualified
craftsmen to dismantle and rebuild portions of that structure.
The manpower and equipment necessary to complete this type of retrieval
is an expense that the property owner is expected to bear.
People who may help.
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