Honeybee Swarm Removal

Honey Bees reproduce in the spring by swarming. The old queen and approximately half the hive leave to find a new home. Honeybee Swarm season usually begins in early to mid April and ends in late June in Holly Springs and the North Carolina Piedmont area. The Honeybee Swarm usually starts by the bees exiting the hive and flying about 30 feet high until they land on a nearby spot (tree branch, mailbox, eave). The honeybee swarm then clusters into a softball to basketball size ball and waits for the scouts to find a new home.

Usually the honeybee swarm cluster will break up and fly to the new home within 24 hours but sometimes the swarm cluster will stay anywhere from 10 minutes to a few days. This can be problematic in residential neighborhoods since an attic or small hole in a house siding might look attractive to the new colony of honeybees. Its important to note that a honeybee swarm is usually very gentle and its rare for the bees to sting during this period since the honeybees have gorged themselves on honey before leaving the bee hive. The large amount of honey that is consumed before the honeybee swarm is converted into wax so the honeybee swarm can quickly build their new home. Think of the consumed honey as bee furniture they take with them. An exception to this rule are the Africanized Honey Bees that can be found in southern climates like Texas and Arizona. If you find a swarm, do not spray it with water or pesticide as this action will just break up the cluster and they will reform or potentially kill the swarm. There is also a much better chance of getting stung as a result of this behavior.

We remove honeybee swarms in residential areas of Holly Springs and some parts of Wake County. Our swarm removal fees are based on our actual cost. Generally we will have a few hives that die over winter so we resuse this equipment for any swarms caught in April and the bees have plenty of natural nectar due to the late April Tulip Poplar flow so no supplementary feeding is necessary. From May to the end of year our price is determined by the cost of the woodenware and how much sugar we have to feed the honeybee colony. Prices are higher later in the year since we have to purchase more sugar to make up for the lighter and reduced nectar flows after May. Feel free to contact us to remove a swarm.

Swarm cluster in tree

Swarming

• A swarm is a natural, temporary part of the honeybee breeding process. Honeybees may swarm and land in a tree or take up residence in your home.
• A swarm cluster may last from an hour to a few days
• Unlike swarms, honeybees nesting in a structure are permanent and must be removed, sometimes referred as a cutout, by a professional beekeeper and can be expensive depending on location of colony and structure