Do you have a swarm or nest?

If you have a honeybee swarm, visit the British Beekeepers Association’s website. Here you can find out information on swarms and, by entering your postcode, find the phone number for the nearest beekeeper who will come and collect it. We can also help with advice if you’re not able to get onto the website.

https://www.bbka.org.uk/help/do_you_have_a_swarm.php

Why do they swarm?

A swarm happens when a colony of bees becomes so large, that a second queen is created and the old queen takes off with half of the colony to establish a new nest. The swarm looks like a swirling mass of bees because the workers are all gathered around the queen to protect her. However, the queen is not a very strong flyer, and so they will often need to rest which is when you might see them on a fence or tree in your garden. When the scout bees find a suitable nest, the swarm will move on, this could happen within a few hours or over a few days.
They are very unlikely to sting when swarming.

Nests

If you think you have a bumblebee nest however, the best thing to do is to leave it alone if it is not causing an inconvenience. Bumblebees are unfortunately a struggling species at the moment, and their nests will only last for one season. We have the contact details for someone who is happy to offer more advice or come and remove the nest, so please give us a call on 01769 572401 if you’d like to know more. This also applies to any wasps or hornet nests you may have.

http://bumblebeeconservation.org/