Honey bees swarm when their colony, or hive, becomes too congested.  Honey bees normally swarm in the spring, but swarms may occur as late as fall.  

During a swarm, about half the bees in the colony, along with the queen, leave en masse and gather on a nearby structure or tree.  A swarm of honey bees is very impressive to witness; however, they are not aggressive in most cases.  Honey bees are normally only defensive of their colony and don’t have a reason to attack when they are outside of the hive.

Honey bees will only stay at the temporary location for a short while, anywhere from an hour to a day.  Scout bees will fly to search for a suitable new home and once this is done, the colony will leave for the new site.  

If you see a swarm of honey bees, either a ball of bees or thousands of bees flying around, contact the CCBA Swarm Commander, and they will send out a message to our membership to find someone to collect the swarm.  

Here are some examples of honey bee swarms: