Come spring-time, honey bee colonies start to build-up their numbers and
if they run out of space in their hive, they swarm. The public should
not be alarmed if they see or come across a swarm of honey bees. They
are doing what honey bees do and are not remotely interested in humans.
In fact before leaving their hive the bees fill up their stomachs with
honey and are rather mellow; their sole intention is to find a new home
to build-up a new colony.
With honey bee numbers under threat we can ill afford to lose swarms;
beekeepers are anxious to collect them and give them a new home in one
of their empty hives. Swarms left uncollected are unlikely to survive,
which means lost honey production but even more importantly, fewer of
these hard working insects to pollinate crops, including our favourite
fruits and vegetables.
The public can help by contacting a beekeeper through the BBKA’s Swarm
Watch Hotline by calling 07896 751205. More information is available
on the BBKA website.
Despite greater awareness by the public of the huge contribution honey
bees make to our food supplies through pollination, not to mention the
honey they produce, a swarm of bees still has the propensity to scare. A
recent survey of over 2,000 adults in the UK suggests that over a
quarter, 28 per cent, of respondents would be ‘worried’ if they saw a
swarm, and a further quarter would be ‘terrified’. And while a third
said that they ‘would do nothing’, others confessed that they would ‘run
like hell’ or ‘scream’.
As long as the swarm is not provoked it will
not do you any harm but it is important that they be collected by an
experienced beekeeper. If left to their own devices they may choose to
set up home in the nearest convenient spot which could be a chimney or
other inaccessible place.
A further issue relating to swarms is that people mistake groups of
other types of bees or wasps for honey bees. Around three quarters of
calls to the British Beekeepers Association are actually about wasps’
nests, bumble bee sightings, or other flying insects and this confusion
is quite an issue for the BBKA, a small charity run mainly by
volunteers. People can check if what they have seen is a swarm of honey
bees or not by going to its website: http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/do_you_have_a_swarm.php
If people really want to help beleaguered honey bees further and get a
little involved themselves, they can join the Adopt a Beehive scheme, www.adoptabeehive.co.uk, which raises money for honey bee research and to help develop beekeeping skills.
Adopt project leader, Nicky Smith says: “The Swarm Watch Scheme can help
save honey bee colonies. And the more well trained beekeepers we have
and greater understanding the public has of honey bees, the better it is
for these vital, hard-working and fascinating creatures”.
BBKA’s Key Facts About Swarms
Why do bees swarm?
• Honey bees swarm because they are looking for a new site to form a new
colony. It is a natural and positive means of population increase
What is a swarm?
• Each swarm contains a queen bee and around 20,000 worker bees
• Wasps and bumble bees don't swarm, so if you see a swarm it will be made up of honey bees.
When do bees swarm?
• The swarming season is from April to July, but the peak is from early May to Mid June.
Keep calm and carry on!
• Swarms are not dangerous unless disturbed or aggravated (for example if sprayed with water). Left alone, swarms are harmless.
• Because they only rarely survive in the wild, honey bee swarms need to
be captured by trained personnel/beekeepers and placed in beehives
where they can form a new productive colony.
• Your local swarm coordinator http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/find_a_swarm_coordinator.php
• Alternatively, contact the local council or police station who can also offer advice.
Obviously, beekeeping is not for everyone. So the BBKA (British Beekeepers
Association) has set up a scheme called Adopt A Beehive. Members of the
public make an annual donation of £30 to the scheme which supports
research and education into beekeeping and bee health. Supporters
receive a welcome pack, a quarterly newsletter and regular updates from
the regional beehive they have adopted. More information is available at
www.adoptabeehive.co.uk.
With over 23,000 members and growing, the British Beekeepers
Association (BBKA) is the leading organisation supporting honey bees and beekeepers within the UK. It aims to promote and further the craft of
beekeeping and to advance the education of the public in the importance
of bees in the environment www.bbka.org.uk
About Adopt a Beehive:
Adopt A Beehive is the official fundraising scheme of the BBKA set up to
raise money for research and support the honey bee www.adoptabeehive.co.uk
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