As part of their natural reproductive cycle, honeybees will swarm. A swarm is when a queen and a good portion of the worker population of bees leave the hive to find a new home. While a honeybee swarm is relatively harmless, it can be a frightening sight to people, according to Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers, in a news release.

Swarms should not be sprayed with water or disturbed in any other way. It is best to clear the area until a beekeeper arrives to make the removal.

KLCB can help if one has found a swarm. There are KLCB beekeepers who can remove a swarm. They do not remove hornets’ nests, bumble bees, wasps or other stinging insects – just honeybees.

KLCB beekeepers also offer guidance on extractions from homes, buildings, and other structures. That is generally a service where a homeowner will need to engage a professional with carpentry skills for a fee
(KLCB can’t always do it but may be able to help one locate the right person). These member beekeepers act privately, as a service to the public, and are facilitated but not endorsed by KLCB.

To report a swarm and ask for assistance, call Al Maloney 207 832-5162.

Please note that exterminators will not kill honeybees and often refer homeowners to find a beekeeper.

Conversely, beekeepers are not exterminators and will not remove other insects. Please try to identify them as honeybees.

Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers is a chapter of the Maine State Beekeepers Association. The goal of the chapter is to encourage, support and promote education in matters related to bees and amateur/hobbyist beekeeping and to promote successful beekeeping in Knox and Lincoln counties.