We have been talking to our friends at Chelmsford Beekeeping Association who have been recalling an unexpected school trip…

A big thank you to Mike Abel from Chelmsford Beekeeping Association for sharing this tale.

Guest Writer: Mike Abel, Chelmsford Beekeeping Association

On a warm May Bank Holiday a couple of years ago, the staff and students of New Hall School in Chelmsford were preparing for a lunch-time barbecue in the quadrangle.  The barbie was alight, the tables laid and all seemed to be going well until some uninvited visitors arrived and threatened to spoil the occasion.  A swarm of bees settled in an ornamental Judas tree just yards from the planned festivities (see image).

The call went out and two local beekeepers, having nothing better planned for a May Bank Holiday, grabbed their swarm collecting equipment and headed for the school.

The school’s Farm Manager met us and ushered us through to the quadrangle which was, unsurprisingly, rather empty.  The bees had settled in a smallish tree, about 2m from the ground.  In terms of swarm collection, this is about as simple as it gets.  However, it was rather daunting to note the number of onlookers, at a safe distance or watching from behind windows.  This was not the time for a botched job…..

Fortunately, on this occasion, all proceeded according to plan.  One beekeeper on the steps, the second holding a cardboard box underneath, a sharp shake of the branch and most of the bees fall into the box (see image above).  At this point there was a most welcome cup of tea whilst we retired to a bit of a distance and watched as the loose bees followed the others into the box.  The critical part of the plan is to ensure that the Queen enters the box as all the remaining loose bees will follow her. In this we luckily were successful, otherwise the barbecue might have had to be postponed!

After half an hour the box was securely wrapped in an old sheet and taken away to begin a new life in our apiary.

The follow-on story from this is that the Farm Manager is planning to enrol on a beekeeping course.

If your interested in getting started in beekeeping the Chelmsford Beekeeping Association sometimes run taster sessions, you can find information on this and more on their website: Chelmsford Beekeepers | A Division of Essex Beekeepers Association

Notes on Swarming

Swarming is a natural process and the way bees multiply the number of colonies. When the colony is thriving and gets too big for their current home, the colony divides into two, the existing queen going with the swarm to set up a new colony. Queen cells are left behind and a new queen develops.

Although there may be tens of thousands of bees in the swarm, they are generally very calm. Best not to poke them with a stick or squirt them with a hose to try move them on though!

Contact your local beekeepers association to see if they can be collected, alternatively if they are not causing a problem, they can be left and will naturally move on in 2-3 hours  or within 3-4 day.

So if you come across a swarm of bees and they are not being a nuisance, just ‘’leave them bee’’.

If they are in a public place cordon off the area if possible and contact Essex Beekeepers website.