Honey bees are hugely beneficial to the environment and we are committed to saving swarms and re-homing them in safe locations.
Swarms have been very common this summer. If you encounter a swarm although they appear frightening you should not panic.
Honey bees have dark brown and black stripes as opposed to wasps which are bright yellow and black. Only honey bees swarm; they appear as a mass of insects, clinging to each other.
Swarms are caused when the population increases and a proportion of the worker bees with a queen leave to form a new hive. The bees will find somewhere to cluster such as a tree branch or fences until the scout bees return with ideas for new locations. As a result the swarm may remain for several days.
Honey bees are usually non aggressive when swarming and will only react if they believe the swarm is under threat. When we find swarms bee keepers usually collect them to use them in their own hives.
If the swarm is inaccessible (chimneys, wall cavities) it may be necessary to treat with insecticide; this should be done professionally. Residual honey may attract other bees and if contaminated honey is taken back to their own hives it could kill them. This can leave you open to prosecution.
Please contact Leeds City Council on 0113 2224406 if you are affected by a swarm as we can arrange for a bee keeper to collect it or provide advice and treatment.
For further information on honey bees please refer to http://www.leedsbeekeepers.org.uk/ and http://www.bbka.org.uk/learn/general