How to Handle a Honey Bee Swarm

The sight of a honey bee swarm can be amazing. It can also be extremely unnerving! Tens of thousands of honey bees buzzing in one space can be frightening, especially if you are afraid of getting stung. If you are dealing with a swarm at your San Diego home or business, there are a few options available to you. What you do depends very much on the location of the swarm and your safety.

Removing a bee swarm is no easy task. It requires specialized equipment and a vast knowledge of honey bees. Plus, removing bees is much more than relocating them to a different area. To do the job right, you must use humane methods that keep bees alive throughout the process. 

While we never recommend homeowners or those with no bee experience to attempt to remove a swarm, it does not mean that you have to call in an exterminator. Exterminators will use chemicals and other processes that are harmful to bees. Typical extermination processes do not help in the effort to conserve the honey bee population.

What is a honey bee swarm? 

For many people, a honey bee swarm seems frightening and dangerous. If you took some time to learn about what a swarm actually is, you might think differently. When a colony gets too big, it will recognize the need to split into two. They will raise a new queen so she can lead one half of the colony. While one group will stay behind, the other group will leave in search of a new home. Scout bees will search for the perfect place to build a hive and report back to the swarming bees.

The swarm is really just bees in a holding pattern while they wait for the scout bees to do their job. The queen will be in the center of the swarm, protected by the other bees during this period of time. Swarms will typically only last a few hours or a few days. Scout bees don’t want to waste much time finding a new place. After all, honey bees only have so much energy stored to enable them to stay in a swarming position.

Once the new home is found the bees will relocate themselves to the area and begin building a new hive. If you have a swarm that is in an out-of-the-way location or in a place that does not pose any inconvenience or danger to humans, it is often best to just leave them alone. As we mentioned, swarms will typically only last a few hours to a few days, so if they are no harm to you, it is best to just let them do their thing. 

However, sometimes swarms will position themselves by the entrance of your home, in front of your garage or in some area that could pose a danger. In these cases, it is best that you call in the professionals.

Why choose live bee removal?

There are many stories of people trying to take a bee swarm situation into their own hands. They may spray chemicals or other pesticides that could agitate the bees, causing them to attack. They may also think that if they toss some rocks or spray the hose into the swarm, they will disperse and leave. 

This is usually not the case. While swarming honey bees are relatively docile, they will attack if they feel threatened or if they feel that the queen is in harm’s way. Therefore, attempting to disperse them will not work. In fact, it could put your life in danger.

Live bee removal companies like D-Tek Live Bee Removal specialize in safe and humane removal services using a vacuum system that will gently remove bees from the area. Our expert technicians understand bee behavior and have the skills and experience to safely relocate the swarm to a safer space. All of this is done with the preservation of bees in mind.

If you live in the San Diego area and have a honey bee swarm on your property, call in the professionals at D-Tek Live Bee Removal today. With one call to our expert team, you will have a technician on your property right away who can help assess the situation. With transparent pricing and reliable technicians, you will get much more than a bee removal service when you work with us. Our team can also perform bee removal repairs and bee proofing services.