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Swarming is carried out by many animals and some plants, but in English we use different words to describe it. Horses, cattle and sheep frequently run together as a herd or a flock; fish swim together as a shoal or a school; some plants move through the ocean together as a bloom and some flying insects swarm in the same way in the air.

Bees swarm if a colony or part of a colony has to find a new nest. Usually, the swarm will fly to a location very close to the old nest and huddle together while the most experienced worker bees go off and look for a fitting nesting site.

There could be as many as 50 of these scouts and they might fly up to a kilometre to find a decent spot. The scouts will almost certainly consider the potential size of nest that can be built there, because it has to hold the current number of bees plus any eggs and offspring that will inevitably come.

They probably also concern themselves with the availability of a not-too distant food source and protection from predators, as there are birds and some insects that eat bees and others that may steal their honey.

The swarm will wait for the scouts to return. As they come back, usually one at a time, they perform a little dance to explain what they have discovered and where it is. The hive can almost certainly judge how credible the suggested new site is by the enthusiasm displayed in the dance.

All the bees watch the dances and an especially fervent scout may persuade another scout to go with her to reconnoitre her find. They might visit a number of finds several times, but sooner or later the scouts will settle for one of the locations and report back to the swarm.

The sight of up to 50 scouts all dancing animatedly about the best of the new sites is enough to enthuse the swarm and it will take off and follow the scouts to its new home.

Of course, beekeepers do not like to lose their swarms or part of them each year, so they place luxury homes nearby to attract the bees into. If that does not work, the bee-keeper has to purchase a new swarm or swarms, something that is becoming increasingly a problem to do.

Beekeepers wishing to attract a new wild swarm often use a pheromone to attract the scouts to the new hives that they have set up near existing hives near an ample source of trees, wild flowers or bushes.

If bees choose a new site in or about your home, your first thoughts ought to not be to destroy it. Bees rarely attack unless they feel threatened, so if the hive is away from the house, you could leave it there.

However, if they begin building in your attic, they may cause some structural harm, besides being a nuisance. If this is the case, phone your local environmental health agency or a local beekeeper to take it away for you.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with how to get rid of pests. If you would like to know more, visit our website at Bugs Infestation.

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