A honey bee swarm occurs when a colony becomes crowded and part of the colony leaves the hive to establish a new home.
Swarming is a completely natural part of the honey bee life cycle and usually takes place during spring and early summer, often around May and June, although swarms can occasionally occur later in the season.
When a colony swarms, the old queen leaves the hive with around half of the worker bees. The remaining bees stay behind to raise a new queen and continue the original colony.
The most common reason for swarming is overcrowding. As the colony grows, the hive can become too small for the expanding population.
Other factors can also contribute, including:
