If you are anything like me, when you see or hear a bee near you, you run off like a screaming schoolgirl, flailing your arms wildly about. Does this sound a little familiar? I sure hope so, I don’t want to be alone on this one. Well what would you do if you were sound asleep and heard the sound of a bee, but the sound was much louder than anything you’ve ever heard before? This is exactly what happened to Reddit user jacklikecrazy92. He lives in South Shields, UK and was sound asleep when he woke up to a loud constant buzzing noise. When he looked outside, this is what he saw.
He decided to catch one of the bees to see exactly what kind of bee was swarming his neighborhood.
At first he thought they were bumble bees, but thanks to other Reddit users, he found out that they were actually honey bees.
When he walked by his sister’s window, he saw the enormous swarms through the windows.
Where would honey bees like this come from? Especially a swarm this big.
It’s unknown where these bees came from, but it seemed as though they were there to stay.
Some people suggested calling an exterminator.
But because the honey bees are dwindling in numbers, it’s always recommended to call a beekeeper first.
Swarming is what happens when a new honey bee colony is formed.
It means the queen bee has left, and the worker bees are trying to find a new colony.
Swarms can range from just a few hundred bees up to a few thousand bees.
Swarming is actually the natural way for honey bee colonies to reproduce.
If you find bees in a hole or a mud nest, you can be sure that they are not be honey bees. That would mean you have a wasp or yellow jacket problem.
Honey bees typically do not sting unless they are very agitated. If you come across a swarm of bees, they are likely looking for a new home and may be a little more angry than they would be if they were found in a hive.
Oftentimes when you call a beekeeper, they won’t charge you to remove the bees. The reason being is that we are more reliant on the bees than they are on us.
Swarms aren’t always a bad thing though. It’s a good way for bees to increase their genetic diversity. When the old queen leaves, she often takes part of her hive and leaves behind a virgin queen. This virgin queen will then mate with bees from several different hives.
The reason honey bees that are swarming are typically not aggressive is because there is a lack of new bees that they have to defend. They are usually focused on finding a new nesting location for their queen instead.
There are only three types of honey bees in the hive: The Queen, Worker Bees, and Drone Bees.
The Queen is the only bee in the hive laying eggs. She lays approximately 1,500 eggs per day.
The worker bees are all females and have the responsibility of taking care of the hive.
Drone bees are males and they are in charge of finding a queen bee to mate with. They also don’t have a stinger.
After reading these bee facts, I won’t be as scared next time I have a honey bee flying around me. However if I see a wasp or a yellow jacket, you better believe I will be running the opposite direction as fast as I possibly can. Bees are a very important part of our daily lives, even if you don’t realize it. Bees are vital in the role of pollinating our crops such as broccoli, asparagus, apples, and more. They are also in charge of pollinating our flowers and producing honey. Next time you see a bee, try not to swat at it. We need them to survive.