Lake County Illinois
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What is a Swarm?
Swarming is the process by which a new honey bee colony is formed when the queen bee leaves the colony with a large group of worker bees. Swarming is a honey bee colony's natural means of reproduction. The swarm of bees will then congregate in an area and create a large ball of bees around their queen as scout bees search for a new place to take up residence. Once they find a suitable tree cavity, an abandoned hive, or a hollow space in the side of a house or other structure they start building a new hive in that space.
If you encounter a swarm please do not call an exterminator or spray them with pesticide. Honeybee swarms are a gift of nature and are simply looking for a new place to live. A free hanging swarm will most likely be gone in a day or two. If they are in an area of concern or have taken up residence in a wall or other structure, do an Internet web search for "Honey Bee Removal" to find someone in your area that specializes in their rescue and safe removal.
Honeybee or not?
Honeybee
Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. Usually very gentle and is busy getting nectar and pollen for the hive. Not interested in people food.
Yellowjacket Wasp
Carnivorous wasp that visits your picnics. Nests in cavities and in the ground. Can be mean and will sting if provoked.
Bumblebee
Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. Lives in the ground in smaller colonies than honeybees.
Balled-faced Hornet
Often will sting when feels even slightly threatened. If you disturb their nest (below) many hornets willattack.
This is a Bald Faced Hornet Nest. Your local Beekeeper would not be interested. If you need to have them removed, call an exterminator.
Honey Bee Swarm. (A little larger than usual.) There is usually a large cluster of bees surrounding the queen. They will be in a clump on a branch, in a tree, sometimes under an eave of a house or shed. They do not build a structure, this is only a temporary place for them.
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