Islanders with honey bee swarms can reach out for expert help, and learn something too
'We felt honoured that they chose our home,' says Richmond homeowner
Laura Dillon and her three young kids got a surprise recently at their home in Richmond.
Hundreds of bees had gathered on the hood of their parked truck, with more hovering above.
"The kids came over to the window and we were watching and watching. It just seemed like more and more bees were coming," she said.
"And then I was like, 'OK, I think we have a problem here because we're going camping. We need the truck today to go to Marco Polo Land.'"
She posted a question online to get some advice about what to do with a swarm of bees.
"I had four beekeepers reach out to me within 20 minutes, all saying that they could come and and rescue the swarm," Dillon said.
One soon arrived and the family watched from the window.
"He had his whole bee suit on, and he had told us that they were very gentle so we were welcome to watch from outside, but we preferred to stay at the window," she said.
"We felt honoured that they chose our home."
P.E.I. Beekeepers Association president Troy Fraser said the first thing people in a similar situation should do is remain calm.
"They aren't looking to harm you because they're homeless in that state ... They will engorge a lot of resources and honey, for example, and have full bellies, which then creates a lethargic state of mind.
"They use these resources to build their new home when they do find one."
Fraser said that can take anywhere from a few hours to three days.
"If they do find something suitable, then they will take off in a big cloud of bees and and go to that new location," he said.
Fraser said contacting the P.E.I. Beekeepers Association is a good idea because they can tell whether the swarm is made up of honey bees or some other kind of insect.
"They aren't necessarily always going to find a home in their natural habitat, which is usually in a hollow of a tree, because a lot of that habitat has been lost. So they may find refuge in a shed or even a house or attic and you don't want them to get to that point," he said.
"You would rather get the swarm taken care of before it does find a location like that, because then you're talking hundreds and hundreds or even thousands of dollars in renovation costs to remove this colony, because then it would be considered established."
Swarm seasons vary
Fraser said swarming season on Prince Edward Island is usually earlier in the year, from spring to early summer.
"But that doesn't mean that swarms won't happen later on in the year," he said. "It comes down to the genetics of the bees themselves. Some will inherit traits of swarming tendencies more so than others.
"If the hive becomes too congested with the population and there's not enough space, that'll trigger the swarming impulse."
The P.E.I. Beekeepers Association said only about 10 per cent of the emails it gets about swarms actually involve honey bees.
"The telltale sign for honey bees is a swarm like a ball, a visible cluster of thousands of bees hanging from a tree or building. But anything other than that, it's probably wasps, hornets or bumblebees that are under a deck, patio steps and anything like that — anything in the ground.
"So for us to make the trip, get the equipment, spend the time to remove a swarm, it's probably best to take a picture of it and have that ready for when you contact the beekeeper who is willing to come out."
As for Dillon's swarm in Richmond, she said she and her family were thrilled to watch the beekeeper at work dealing with it.
"He was very knowledgeable and knew what he was doing. He was very gentle," she said.
"He explained everything that he was doing as he went and we feel like it was a happy ending ... We said we would come visit and purchase some of the honey that he makes out of that colony."
Fraser said he hears similar things from other people who've contacted them about a honey bee swarm.
"Beekeepers love to talk. They love to educate. They like to tell people what's going on," he said.
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