Kaat Kaye, Beekeeper and Perennial Coordinator, tells us why honey bee swarms happen and how we handle them at Stone Barns Center. Swarms occur when about half the colony and their queen leave the original colony to settle into a temporary resting place while the scout bees collectively decide where their new home will be.

“Between collective fact finding, vigorous debate, and consensus building, honey bees are able to make decisions collectively and democratically.” — Honeybee Democracy by Tom Seeley

Beekeepers love to catch swarms and offer them a home in one of our hives, since most swarms don't survive their first year in the wild. Fresh swarms are generally docile, as the bees gorged on honey before leaving the original colony and don’t yet have a nest to defend, but if they've been eating through their honey for days, they can start to get a bit cranky. If you see a large cluster of honey bees like this, contact your local beekeeper (Googling can help). Please don’t spray the bees, and do not attempt to move the swarm yourself as you see here—Kaat is an experienced professional.