May is a busy month for both bees and beekeepers. As temperatures rise and colonies grow quickly, many hives begin preparing to swarm.
Swarming is a natural part of the honey bee life cycle and is how a colony reproduces.
As the queen increases her egg laying, the number of bees inside the hive can rise rapidly.
When the colony becomes crowded, the existing queen may leave with around half of the bees to search for a new home. The bees left behind begin raising a new queen to continue the original colony.
The departing swarm will often gather nearby, forming a large cluster around the queen while scout bees search the surrounding area for somewhere suitable to live.
When possible, I collect local swarms and give them a new home in one of our hives.
Once the queen is safely inside a suitable box, the remaining bees usually follow her in. Before long, the whole cluster can be settled and ready to move to its new apiary.
It is always fascinating to watch thousands of bees work together so quickly.
If you find a cluster of honey bees in Suffolk, get in touch and we may be able to help collect and safely rehome them.
