Swarm Capture
What should I do?
Call a local beekeeper who captures swarms.
Observe the swarm from a comfortable distance.
The swarm will eventually settle into a cluster. Important: Take note of where they settle. Once they have settled they will be very calm and quiet. The beekeeper may have a hard time finding them if you can't show him where the bees landed.
Do Not Spray the bees! When honeybees swarm they are in their most harmless state and do not pose a risk to humans or pets if left undisturbed. Do Not Disturb the cluster. Again, they do not pose a stinging risk; so simply observe them from a distance and make sure nobody bothers them till a beekeeper can come and safely hive the colony.
What will eventually happen to this swarm?
If no action is taken by the property owners the clustered swarm will eventually locate a suitable cavity to move into as their new home.
This usually takes no longer than three days.
It’s wise to immediately call your local beekeeper and ask them to “hive the swarm” so that the swarm doesn't locate a small hole in your home and set up their new hive in the wall or ceiling of your house.
A swarm of honeybees clustered on a branch (March 2011).
Good sized swarm clustered on a Cedar branch (April 2014).
Some Interesting Tid-bits for the curious...
Why would this swarm fly onto my property anyway?
The swarm may have come from a wild colony living in the hollow of a nearby mature tree.
You may have a neighbor who enjoys the hobby of keeping honeybees and has several hives.
The honeybee colony that issued the swarm will usually be within 150’ to 200’ away from where the swarm settled into a cluster.
What makes an established honeybee colony want to swarm?
Swarms are a colony's natural way of reproducing and spawning new colonies.
Over-crowding inside the hive cavity will trigger a swarm under the right conditions as well.
A colony can "throw" upwards of 3 or more swarms during the Spring (and sometimes the Fall) swarm seasons.