The swarm often clusters on a branch until the scout bees locate a suitable new home.

The queen is the only bee in the hive capable of producing eggs. For the honeybee to reproduce its species it is necessary for new queens to be produced to start a new colony.  Normally a queen produces a pheromone called queen substance which is passed round the workers and prevents them producing a new queen. If the queen becomes old or dies, or if the colony becomes very populous, workers receive too little queen substance. In this case, they will start to rear a new queen. This often happens in late April, May, or June. Once a new queen has been reared, the old queen leaves the hive with a proportion of the colony. This we call a swarm. 

At first the swarm often clusters on a branch whilst scout bees fly off to seek a new home. Once found, the swarm will then move into the new home. It is unlikely that the swarm will stay on a branch for long as it will probably find a new home in a few days, or much sooner. To arrange for a swarm to be removed, please contact your local beekeeper. To do this, read the notes below, and then use the contact details at the bottom of this page.

What to do if you see a swarm …

Please read these notes carefully before getting in touch:

• Beekeepers will only collect honeybee swarms  

• Please be as sure as you can that you have found a honeybee swarm before getting in touch. Refer to the BBKA Swarm removal page for more information

• NB: Nests found in or on the ground or in small bird boxes are likely to be Bumble Bees or Tree Bees 

Find a local Swarm Collector