Bee Removal Sarasota

Bee colonies are an important part of Florida agriculture. They produce unique varieties of honey, pollinate many plants that produce fruits, vegetables and nuts, and support the livelihood of local beekeepers.

Unfortunately, feral honey bees can become a nuisance when they take up residence in cavities near places where people live, such as soffits and walls of homes/buildings, lawn debris, water meter boxes, trees, etc. Nuisance colonies become problematic when they pose a stinging threat to nearby humans and animals.

Spring is Honey Bee Swarm Season

Spring is honey bee swarm season in Sarasota. When flowers start blooming, bees start making honey and bee colonies increase in size, causing them to outgrow their nest. The queen and about half of the worker bees then leave the parent colony to find a new nesting site. This swarm of bees will fly about a mile away (more or less, depending on the availability of potential food and nesting sites). Typically, a swarm will hang out in a large cluster for a day or so, until one of the scout bees has found a suitable nesting site nearby for the colony to settle into. Honey bee swarms will often land on a fence, a tree branch, or building

Seeing thousands of bees flying or clustering together tends to alarm people. Fear not, swarms are just looking for a new place to live and they won’t bother you. They don’t have a home or babies to look after, so they aren’t defensive. If a honey bee swarm shows up on your property, wait a day or two, and they will normally move on.

However, a honey bee colony may decide that the best place to start a new nest is near your home. When honey bees establish their new nest near people, there is potentially a risk of stinging incidents. If you see a place where bees are coming in and out, then a nest is already established and you should call a bee removal professional.

Honey Bee Swarms

• Transient group of honey bees that exists for a short time — a few hours to a few days.
• No honey comb is present.
• Bees are relatively docile as they have no hive to defend.
• Often seen hanging from a tree branch, on a fence, soffit, side of a house or other object.
• The size can vary — from the size of a fist to the size of a beach ball or even larger.

Honey Bee Colonies

• A colony is an established nest of honey bees. It includes honey comb, stored pollen, honey, worker bees and brood (developing bees.

• Will actively defend the nest if disturbed (sting!).

• Most commonly found in cavities like tree holes, house walls, attics, in-ground meter boxes and storage sheds.

• A colony is often notices because of the bee traffic — honey bees entering and exiting the cavity

• Nest size can be quite large. A colony may grow until the whole cavity is filled.

Bee Removal Service

If you see a swarm of bees or bee colony that concerns you, call us. In many cases, depending on the size, location and temperament of the bees, we can remove the swarm or colony and relocate it safely to an apiary. Hoot Acre Farm offers live bee removals in Sarasota and surrounding areas. Give us a call to talk about your bee removal concerns.

Sources:
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Honey Bee Removal or Eradication in Florida
UF|IFAS Blog: Bee on the Lookout for Honey Bee Swarms