Swarm of Bees in my tree
Bee Swarm
There is a swarm of bees in my tree! What do I do??
It is very common to suddenly find a large swarm of bees, in a ball shape, buzzing around a tree in your yard. First of all don’t panic. They are not overly aggressive at this time, because their primary concern is protecting the queen, who is in the middle of the ball of bees. Quickly bring children and pets inside.
Generally speaking if you leave the bees alone for 24-48 hours, they will leave on their own. They are waiting in the tree for the scouts to return to lead them to a suitable place to build their hive. When all is clear for the colony, they will move on.
During the time the swarm is in your tree it is very important to keep pets away, particularly dogs. If the dogs bark, this may aggravate the bees to attack. It is also imperative that children stay away, so that they do not tease or aggravate the bees. Both situations could lead the bees to interpret the behavior as aggressive and they will attack in order to protect their queen.
If you cannot control a barking dog, such as a neighbors, we recommend calling in a professional. We recommend having the swarm removed from your property if the bees stay longer than 48 hours, if there is a member of the household who is allergic to bees, or if the swarm is on a community or commercial property. Removal will help the bees get on their way to a new home, and keep everyone safe on or around the property.
