Honey bees are among the most beneficial of all insects. Honey is humanity's oldest sweet, and beeswax was the first plastic. Honey bees are important pollinators and contributors to our food with their honey.
But in the wrong place--like your house--they can be a BIG problem. A mature honey bee colony can range in population size from 20,000 to 100,000 bees, depending on the season. The colony population will peak from late spring to summer and reach a low point in winter.
If you see a large number of bees in a large “ball,” they are likely swarming and in the swarming stage, they are fairly docile. However, we don’t recommend allowing children or pets close to the swarm.
During mid-winter, the queen begins laying eggs and the colony population grows. By spring, the nest is congested with many new bees. The colony raises a new queen and the old queen flies away accompanied by more than half the bees.
An established honey bee colony will sometimes divide itself, and one or more swarms will leave the hive. The new swarm may cluster for a while on a tree limb or bush near the old hive while scout bees search for a suitable place to establish a new home. Usually scout bees find a hollow tree, but occasionally they will choose the wall voids of a home. Unfortunately, bees may nest in the wall or attic some distance from where they enter the wall.
This flying swarm temporarily clusters on an object, such as a tree branch, while scout bees search for a permanent nest site. A hanging swarm may assume any shape, depending on the surface on which it is clustered. Most hanging swarms are round or oval, about the size of a basketball, and dark brown.
If the swarm is safely located away from animals and people, you may wait for it to fly away on its own.
Honey bees do not bore through wood. If you are extremely careful to seal all entry points to the internal structural cavities of your house, you will be able to prevent honey bees from making entry. The only areas that will be bee proofed will be the areas that you caulk, so you will have to caulk all open construction joints, gaps, holes, splits, etc... Remember, if you miss a spot, that area is vulnerable to bees.
Call us today at
800-650-PEST
if you are experiencing a honey bee problem.