Bee Swarms 

It’s been a difficult winter for the bees, the weather was inclement and cold. Only very recently has there been any respite with it turning dry and warmer, but then back to cold again. Sadly, Nosema has run through several of my colonies and the hives are much depleted. Nosema to bees is what dysentery is to humans and in their case, once the queen had gone there was little hope for the colony in the inclement weather.

It will soon be that time of the year again (end of April. May, June and sometimes July) when honeybees will swarm. Swarming is the natural way that a colony of honeybees reproduces. It happens when a new queen has been formed and is almost ready to emerge from her cell. Unlike humans, the parent queen and flying bees leave their home rather than waiting for the offspring to leave and set up independently.

In preparation for swarming, honeybees gorge on the hive honey prior to their journey in search of a suitable nesting site. Then they leave the hive and can appear as a cloud in the air. We tend to spot them when they are resting as a cluster, often attached to a tree branch, with the queen at their centre. If you are unsure what a swarm looks like, please google it and select images to see. Very basically, it’s a tear-shaped cluster. The resting place for a swarm can be in the most unusual places and should not be confused with a wasp nest.

Swarming bees have little interest in people when in this mode, having gorged themselves on honey from the hive. As such, whilst they might look intimidating, they really are quite docile. Their priority is to find a safe place to set up their new colony, so you have little to fear from them. However, you should still act with caution as bees are wild insects.

With many of us spending additional time at home, there is every likelihood of spotting a swarm in the garden or paddock. Please contact me if you see a resting swarm. I’m a local beekeeper who will come and collect it. I have several hives here in Piltdown and Fletching and on farms in the surrounding area.

Fletching Honey will be available from the counter at the tea rooms, next to the Griffin.

Nick Pendleton
Woodside Farm, Piltdown
07931751556