Honey bee swarming is a biological event. It involves a portion of a honey bee colony, including the old queen, leaving their established hive to create a new one. This behavior is not an act of aggression, but rather a normal process for honey bees to reproduce and expand their population. While the sight of a large cloud of bees can seem alarming, swarming bees are generally docile and focused on their journey to a new home.
The Fundamental Reason
Swarming serves as the primary method of reproduction for honey bee colonies. Unlike individual bee reproduction through egg-laying, swarming allows the entire colony to multiply, effectively splitting one large colony into two or more distinct new ones. This ensures the propagation of the species and contributes to genetic diversity, enabling bees to spread and adapt to various environments.
Key Instigating Factors
Several specific conditions within a hive prompt a colony to initiate swarming preparations. Overcrowding or congestion is a significant trigger, due to insufficient space for the growing population. A reduction in the queen’s pheromone, which occurs as a queen ages or when the colony becomes very large, also plays a role in signaling the workers to begin raising new queens and preparing to swarm. The abundance of resources, such as a strong nectar flow and ample pollen, supports rapid population growth, contributing to congestion and encouraging the colony to divide. Moreover, environmental factors like high temperatures, poor airflow, or inadequate ventilation within the hive can make conditions unbearable for the bees, prompting them to seek new lodgings.
The Swarm Takes Flight
When conditions are right, typically during spring and early summer, a portion of the honey bee colony, including the old queen and about half to two-thirds of the worker bees, leaves the original hive. This group forms a dense, swirling cloud of flying bees that initially settles on a temporary location, such as a tree branch, fence post, or other structure, often just a few meters from the original hive. While clustered in this temporary spot, which can last from a few hours to several days, the bees are usually docile because they are not defending a hive or food stores. During this time, scout bees embark on flights to search for a suitable new permanent home. Once a consensus is reached on an ideal location through complex communication, the entire swarm will take flight again, moving to their chosen new site.
Life After Swarming
After the swarm departs, the original colony does not cease to exist; it continues with the remaining bees. These bees, which stayed behind, will raise a new queen from specially constructed queen cells left in the hive. The first new queen to emerge often eliminates any other developing queens, then takes mating flights before returning to begin laying eggs, thereby rebuilding the colony’s population and resuming normal activities. Meanwhile, the newly departed swarm, guided by the scout bees, moves to its chosen new cavity, which could be a hollow tree, a wall void, or another suitable sheltered space. Upon arrival, the bees immediately begin constructing new comb, collecting nectar and pollen, and establishing their new home.