Summer is upon us – and so are swarms of bees, busily looking for their new home from which to collect pollen. Picture the scene – a nice afternoon tea, outside on the lawn and perhaps a relaxing glass of Prosecco or two. Then, out of nowhere, you see bees approaching. Panic! Or should we? Most of us, when we think about bees, picture stings, swarms and the varied unpleasantness commonly associated with them. And with it now being the bee ‘season’, home owners are bound to be watching out for swarms and nests secreted about the place. But it might surprise you to know that bees are not considered to be pests in the same way that wasps are. In fact, many councils do not deal with bees within their pest control policies. Which means that it’s up to you to monitor the bees and have a plan to sort them out if necessary. After all, most folks won’t be comfortable with a bees’ nest in close proximity to their home.
COMMON MISCONCEPTION: That bees are always looking out for ways to sting you. In fact, bees only sting if they are strongly provoked. And why is this the case? Because bees only have one sting to use and when they’ve used that up, they die. So, it’s pretty important to them to conserve their stings. In fact, these guys are actually important and beneficial insects. Who’d have thought?
BEES ON YOUR PROPERTY So, bees are not the pesky threat that they are sometimes assumed to be, which is all well and good, but they can still be alarming when they’ve set up home somewhere in your house or garden! Nests of bees tend to be created somewhere out of the way; in attics or lofts, garages, sheds or maybe they’re secreting themselves under your eaves. A swarm of bees will attach themselves to a tree or fence or roof, etc. but a swarm need not make a nest for themselves. They will usually move on after an hour or two, but if it’s stable enough then a beekeeper might be happy to remove it.
NESTING INSTINCT Once you think that you’ve spied a beehive, then first things first – you need to make sure that it is actually bees you are dealing with, not wasps or hornets. Then identify that you actually have honey bees on your hands (metaphorically speaking). Statistically there are globally more honey bees than any other type of bee or pollinating insects, which makes them the world’s most essential pollinator of food crops, supported by birds, bats and other insects. Numbers show that one third of our daily food consumption relies mainly on pollination by honey bees.The quickest and easiest way to identify a bee is to look at one. Preferably a dead one. Look for hairs on
the body because all bees have hairs, but wasps tend towards smooth exteriors. Their nest will also give you some clues, it will be built out of wax in a honeycomb formulation. You should also notice the bees flying back and forth to their nest.
I’M DEFINITELY DEALING WITH A BEES’ NEST HERE, WHAT NOW? Call a local beekeeper. They will have the knowledge and experience to deal with the bees in the best way and they will often physically remove them for you without exterminating them.
TAKE PRECAUTIONS The bees are likely to become agitated as the removal process gets underway. The beekeeper will be safely encased in his bee suit, but your children and pets won’t be, so it’s best to hustle them inside.
AND THEY’RE OFF! Now it’s time for the clean-up job. It’s essential that this is done quickly and thoroughly or the bees will follow the lingering scent of wax and congregate there again. You need to remove the hive and any dead bees or honey before sealing the area. Remember – honeybee numbers are dwindling rapidly and the natural world depends on them doing their job, so be extra careful with any hive you find on your property.