There are thousands of honey bees in this swarm... they are hunting for a new home... the queen is at the center of this mass of bees.
While the queen and worker bees gather on this branch, scout honey bees are out searching for a new place to live...
The old queen leaves the hive with her loyal workers... this generally means that a new queen is present in the old hive...
The swarm of bees wait here while scouts are out... several scouts must return with their information about the location information about a new home. Several scouts must have the same information before the swarm will move out.
Because this swarm is close to the ground, I am able to show you their structure and share what a swarm of honey bees look like close up.
Before they left the old colony/hive, these honey bees gorged on honey and pollen to take with them. They will need new food resources very soon, this is why they stay here while others search... saving energy and resources.
unless you are allergic to bees, swarming honey bees are normally not aggressive and will not attack you... they are looking for a new home, not defending their current location.
While I am filming these honey bees, I am not wearing any protective clothing, it really isn't necessary... Children and those allergic to honey bees should NOT approach honey bees. Never swat at a bee and don't run or move suddenly... this excites them.
A queen honey bee generally lives 3 years... bee keepers generally replace the queen every two years.
worker bees generally live around 6 weeks.... it takes 21 days to hatch out new workers from laying the egg to hatch.
It is amazing that these bees are supported by hanging on one another... those gripping the tree branch are in turn supporting several pounds of their fellow honey bees!
a swarm of honey bees make a loud and steady humming sound.. in general, people tend to "hear" them before they "see" them...
It is late August and the chances for these honey bees to survive on their own is not very good... they would certainly die out...
these scouts are now panicked, as I have cut away the branch and rescued the swarm... they are frantically trying to communicate to each other about the location of a new home...
I carried the swarm still hanging onto the branch as I cut it off... then I placed the bees still on the branch, into an empty bee hive body....
These scout bees will eventually find the hive with colony in it, as they will pick up the scent of those at the hive entrance....
this side to side vibrating and turning motion the bees are doing, is known as the "waggle dance".... this is how they give directions to the other bees and their information is in reference to the sun's position and distance... a longer "waggle" the farther they go in a specific direction before turning as indicated by another waggle path...
this is the location where the swarm has been placed... the colony did survive and are now doing very well in their hew home!