Swarms

Swarm clustering on branch

Swarming is an entirely natural activity, and is the bees’ way of perpetuating the colony by the old queen and her flying bees leaving to find a new home.

They wait a short distance from their old hive while they send out scouts to find suitable accomodation; during the summer, you may find a ball of bees hanging from a branch, or in a hedgerow, awaiting their reports before making a decision and moving on.  Usually, that’s the last you see of them, but occasionally they may end up in a chimney or in other parts of buildings where they can cause a nuisance.

If you do find a swarm, please get in touch with us, and we’ll try to come out to collect it.

 Contacts in West Dorset

For other areas in Dorset, please contact the local associations.  You can find their contact details through the Dorset County Beekeepers Association website.

If you’d like to know more about swarms, there’s some information on the British Beekeepers Association website, including guidance on distinguishing between honeybees, bumblebees and wasps.