The Bee's Are A Buzzin

I had a visitor the other day telling me about a swarm of bee's that had attached itself to the soffets of his house on Market Street.

He and his wife had a swarm they told me about a few years ago, and unfortunately they didn't know that they really wouldn't bother them and when they moved to a lower location they exterminated them.

I think that the colony lives in the boxing of the house. It is a relatively small swarm (a healthy swarm when clumped is about the size of a basketball) this was only about the size of a football.
The family became alarmed when the bees were waiting for their queen to pick a place to land.
When she does this all of the bees that have followed her; fly wildly around in a circular patterns buzzing at such a volume the average person is easily alarmed.
When the queen finally lands she will call to her colony and they will quickly huddle up into a very tight ball.
This usually happens twice each spring.
Once when the queen goes on her 'mating' flight, and maybe again if the queen is old and is not producing enough eggs to maintain the level of worker bees necessary for an efficient hive. If a second swarm occurs it is either the old queen being kicked out of the hive, and with her she will take about 1/3 of the colony. Or it is a new queen that the workers have hatched and she in her battle for control of the hive is beaten and she is kicked out and she takes about 1/3 of the colony with her as well.
Unfortunately, when the latter two of the swarms occur, it can take the remaining colony an entire season to re-establish it's numbers, thus leaving a shortage of excess honey for the beekeeper.
If the beekeeper is fortunate enough to catch the loose swarm, it will take the remaining season to build up enough bee's to survive the winter; but the following year is usually very abundant in honey.
After an inspection of the couples attic I ascertained that the bees were not in the house itself, and given the height of the swarm, I advised it was probably best to leave them alone. But if they came down a little lower I would get them.
I haven't heard from them since my visit so hopefully they have moved on.
If you see a swarm this spring, don't freak out. If your allergic go inside, but if your not it is a fascinating thing to watch, and be sure to drop me an email and if I can reach it I will be happy to get it as I have an empty hive, and also know other beekeepers who would love to new colony,
and you'll get some honey as a nice little tip!