Swarming is the natural process by which a new honey bee colony is formed when the old queen bee leaves the colony with a large group of worker bees. A swarm can contain thousands to tens of thousands of bees. They may gather temporarily on a tree branch while scout bees search for a new suitable home. Honeybee swarms typically occur between April and June in our area.  

 

If accessible, beekeepers can capture swarms, provide them a new hive and help them get established as a new colony. Swarms are generally easy for a beekeeper to safely remove. Unfortunately, some swarms are high up in trees and are inaccessible.

 

Honeybees can build nests in many places including hollow trees and in the walls of your home. Some beekeepers may be interested in removing these established hives. This typically involves removing siding or walls to gain access to the hive. Since honeybees do not chew wood, plaster or cause home damage, we recommend just leaving them where they are and enjoy having them around.

 

Honeybees are very different from other insects including wasps, yellow jackets and hornets. It is easy to tell the difference between them with a simple search on the internet. If you have questions or issues with an insect that is not a honeybee, we can only recommend contacting an exterminator.

 

If you have a swarm or honeybee nest in the local area, please contact one of the following beekeepers: (click on the name for email)

 

Michael Coakley -- Chestertown, MD 410-708-1217

Gary Robinson   -- 443-480-2285 

Laurette Sisk -- Worton, MD 410-708-2898

Mike Wham --  

John Vogel -- Kingstown, MD 443-474-0755

 

Please include where the property is located and a picture of the nest or honeybees if possible, and we’ll try to find someone who can take care of it.