EAGLE, Idaho — As local bee colonies embrace the changing seasons, I'm checking in with local experts about the importance of calling the right people to remove a hive come swarm season.
Warmer weather means the bees are buzzing, a telltale sign that swarm season is coming.
"The bees that wintered well are outgrowing their current home. So, the old queen and about 50% of the workforce would leave that hive and they'll land on something like a branch or a fence post," explained beekeeper Garrett Hanna.
A mess that many homeowners don’t want to get tangled up in.
Beekeeper Jim McMahon said, "This is probably the safest time to observe bees because they have one intent, and that is to find a new home. There is nothing to protect, so they will not be aggressive towards you."
I met up with McMahon and Hanna, two members of the Treasure Valley Bee Keepers Club, who say it is important to make sure you contact the right people when a swarm crashes at your home.
"We won't just come collect the queen and leave immediately. We'll leave our equipment there so that all those workers have time to come back and find their new home in the box we leave," continued Garrett.
McMahon jumped in, saying, "I've got out several times following a couple of people who just collect the first swarm that's there, and there will be a couple of thousand bees hanging out where the queen used to be. Now they don't have a home, they don't have a queen, and they aren't very happy."
The beekeepers will then take the swarm back to their apiaries to give the colony a new home. To keep their other hives safe, the keepers ask folks not to spray any bug killer on the hive before it is removed. The keeper added that spraying the bees may leave dead carcasses in the walls of your homes, which may attract many other pests or vermin. But bees are not the only black and yellow creatures that come out this time of year.
"When you have a barbecue outside, what do you get? You get wasps and yellow jackets because they are meat eaters. The bees won't bother you unless you put out a vegetarian spread," laughed McMahon.
The keepers say that wasps and yellow jackets are not their line of work and, if you see the insects, to call an exterminator.
If you have a swarm that needs to be re-homed or you want to check out the club, you can go to their website.
