Honeybee Swarms
Swarming is an instinctive part of the life cycle of a honey bee colony. It is a way for the colony to reproduce itself. Honey bees in Manitoba tend to swarm in late spring or early summer as the colony rapidly grows in size during this time of year. A swarm is generally gentle and not inclined to sting or attack unless threatened. They will often temporarily gather on a tree or other structural object and will leave on their own within a day or two for a permanent home.
Swarm Problems?
Red River Apiarists’ Association has a group of beekeepers who will attempt to relocate accessible honey bee swarms. For honey bees that have moved into permanent structures, these involve significant renovations and is very invasive. Unless they are in an accessible spot, like inside a shed where the comb can bee seen, the RRAA does not do honey bee removals from structures and buildings. The best options for these situation is leave them where they are (they will often die over the next winter) or contact a professional exterminator for removal.
Contact Us for Swarm Removal
IMPORTANT!
Before contacting us, verify that the swarm is indeed honey bees – see Identifying Honey Bees
In your email, include as many details as possible. Such things as:
- Town/Community
- Location details (tree, structure, building, etc)
- Contact details (name, phone number, email)