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	ULSTER BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION Beekeeping in Northern Ireland19.9.09
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HELP - I've found a swarm of bees!

1.	DON'T PANIC	- when bees are swarming they are generally very docile and show no aggressive tendencies. (This is the secret of the Beard of Bees trick.) They will merely find a suitable spot to gather, as a temporary measure, while they send out scouts to find a more permanent cavity as a new home. They are not too choosy about where this temporary spot will be, it could be in a tree/bush, on a clothesline, a fence, a bicycle, anywhere that they can land to form a cluster.

2.	ARE THEY HONEY BEES?	It is important to know that what you have are honey bees and not the humble bumble bee. The latter exist in small colonies, do not survive as a colony over winter and often live underground. The typical honey bee swarm looks like this. Bumble bees are very different and look like this

3.	MAKE A MENTAL NOTE	- of where they are (would a ladder be needed to get at them?) roughly the size of the swarm (tennis ball, football etc), and how long it has been in this spot. Then armed with this information.................

4.	E-mail	the nearest Association to you or contact a "swarm collector". You can get their details on the menu / database

5.	AT A SAFE DISTANCE	- Sit back, watch and wait for the beekeeper to arrive. Any beekeeper will tell you that there is something very magical about a swarm. There is an electric feeling in the air, as the bees swirl round before clustering in a ball. Watching a swarm hived is an experience that you will never forget, with the bees thrown down on a sheet, you'll see them march into the darkness of the hive - as if someone has given a marching order.

6.	TELL OTHERS	of your experience. All too often, bees get very bad press. Mix the word "Bees" with "Killer" and all of a sudden you have horror film that will perform very well at the box office. You will by now know differently off course, as you will have seen at first hand just how docile and truely magical these little insects can be.

If you would like further details about how a swarm behaves, or other information regarding bees and beekeeping in general, do not hesitate to contact the Secretary of the Association nearest to you.