what are swarms?
Honey bee swarms happen when the bee colony grows too big for their current hive. The queen will produce new queen bee larvae in preparation for the big move. When the new queen is about to hatch, the old queen takes off with a significant proportion of the existing hive (worker bees and drones) to find a new hive location. This is called swarming. It is different from a cloud of bees defending a hive from attack or from large numbers of bees flying around a rich nectar and pollen source.
A swarm is a tight body of bees concentrated in a specific place or a holding area as they are in transit from their last hive home until their scouts find them a new home. They may stay for a few hours or days. Because they are full of honey and needing to conserve energy, swarming bees are normally calm as they do not yet have a new home to defend. Preventative measures like bait hives and swarm traps help prevent them settling in undesirable locations (for we humans at least) and from becoming defensive after making those undesirable spaces their new home.
A swarm is a tight body of bees concentrated in a specific place or a holding area as they are in transit from their last hive home until their scouts find them a new home. They may stay for a few hours or days. Because they are full of honey and needing to conserve energy, swarming bees are normally calm as they do not yet have a new home to defend. Preventative measures like bait hives and swarm traps help prevent them settling in undesirable locations (for we humans at least) and from becoming defensive after making those undesirable spaces their new home.
What happens to the Swarms when they are relocated?
Swarms are transferred from the traps into a larger commercial-size beehives and relocated within Western Australia to our beekeeper-managed apiary sites (AC8 Apiaries). The Bee Saver personnel are beekeepers who work with local suppliers, apiarists, and honey wholesalers to support the local Western Australian economy. Our apiaries are managed using a minimum of protective gear and apiary equipment in a natural bush flora setting. In a mutually-sustaining environment, the bees do not need to swarm and they live chemical-free lives producing honey.
Depending on the beekeeping management practices, hives will produce about 200-300 kilos of honey per year. The busiest production period is from September until May. The swarming season occurs between late August until March. Our bees get to move around many of the Western Australian outback areas between Shark Bay and Esperance.
Depending on the beekeeping management practices, hives will produce about 200-300 kilos of honey per year. The busiest production period is from September until May. The swarming season occurs between late August until March. Our bees get to move around many of the Western Australian outback areas between Shark Bay and Esperance.
Who are your clients?
A wide range of clients are attracted to The Bee Saver’s environmentally responsible philosophy and practices. The client base we can serve include: Corporate clients with offices and depots (like Southern Cross Security and Western Power); Private homes; Amateur apiarists looking to begin or expand their hives; and Local and State government organisations
Are swarms dangerous?
Swarming bees tend to be calm and even tempered. Any bee sting can be painful and potentially lethal. Bees only sting as a last resort. Swarming bees are in transit looking to quickly find and set up a new home; they are full of honey that they need to build new wax comb and start a new hive. This means their priority is to conserve energy and preserve the precious honey stores they are carrying. They have no home colony of brood or food to defend. They will become agitated or attack under some conditions: if they are provoked or disturbed by unsuspecting passersby or pets (usually older dogs).
Many animals and families happily co-exist with bees. You may not have even noticed them in the garden! If you are stung, as soon as possible remove the sting and sac by scraping it off (with a fingernail or credit card, for example) without squeezing the sac. Most people will experience pain and swelling where they have been stung. You may need to seek medical or veterinarian advice promptly, especially if breathing passages start to swell, or the sting was around the face and neck.
Many animals and families happily co-exist with bees. You may not have even noticed them in the garden! If you are stung, as soon as possible remove the sting and sac by scraping it off (with a fingernail or credit card, for example) without squeezing the sac. Most people will experience pain and swelling where they have been stung. You may need to seek medical or veterinarian advice promptly, especially if breathing passages start to swell, or the sting was around the face and neck.
What should I do if I get stung?
As soon as possible remove the sting and sac by scraping it off (with a fingernail or credit card, for example) without squeezing the sac. Most people will experience pain and swelling where they have been stung. See http://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/First-aid-for-bites-and-stings. You may need to seek medical or veterinarian advice promptly, especially if breathing passages start to swell, or the sting was around the face and neck.
Do you remove established hives?
It depends on where they are established. We have removed hives from cars, trees, hedges, cardboard boxes, and cable drums, for example. Bee colonies that have established hives inside tree trunks and inside double-brick wall cavities are almost impossible to remove without destroying the tree or the wall. We do not remove these in most cases, or if they are too high to reach, and so the bees may need to be destroyed.
where can I learn more about bees?
From loads of places!
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We belong to the Western Australian Apiarists' Society http://waas.org.au/ which is an amateur society which currently has over 500 members, the majority being hobbyists who meet to learn, share and promote the craft of beekeeping. They have regular meetings.
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Check out the ABC Catalyst video about the global decline of honey bees http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4094061.htm
Sources from that site include:
Centre for Integrative Bee Research, UWA
The Urban Beehive, Sydney
Department of Agriculture – bee pests and diseases
CSIRO – microsensors and swarm-sensing
Entomologist Prof Marla Spivak on why bees are disppearing
National Beekeeping Centre Wales
Senate report - Future of beekeeping & pollination service industries in Australia, July 2014
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The wonderful world of honey: http://honeybee.org.au/education/wonderful-world-of-honey/
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Attract bees to your garden: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s4515139.htm
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Good Books:
"The Australian Beekeeping Manual" by Robert Owen
The bee book: Beekeeping in Australia by Peter Warhurst & Roger Goebel.
_________________________________________________________________________________
We belong to the Western Australian Apiarists' Society http://waas.org.au/ which is an amateur society which currently has over 500 members, the majority being hobbyists who meet to learn, share and promote the craft of beekeeping. They have regular meetings.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Check out the ABC Catalyst video about the global decline of honey bees http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4094061.htm
Sources from that site include:
Centre for Integrative Bee Research, UWA
The Urban Beehive, Sydney
Department of Agriculture – bee pests and diseases
CSIRO – microsensors and swarm-sensing
Entomologist Prof Marla Spivak on why bees are disppearing
National Beekeeping Centre Wales
Senate report - Future of beekeeping & pollination service industries in Australia, July 2014
_________________________________________________________________________________
The wonderful world of honey: http://honeybee.org.au/education/wonderful-world-of-honey/
_________________________________________________________________________________
Attract bees to your garden: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s4515139.htm
_________________________________________________________________________________
Good Books:
"The Australian Beekeeping Manual" by Robert Owen
The bee book: Beekeeping in Australia by Peter Warhurst & Roger Goebel.
what is the difference between types of bees and wasps?
We save bees because they are an asset to our environment and economy. Although we don't see them as pests, The Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS) has a simple and effective wasp and bee identification chart at https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/biosecurity/pest-and-disease-information-service-padis. PaDIS (within the WA Department of Agriculture and Food) provides advisory and identification services on animal and plant pests, weeds and diseases that impact Western Australia's agriculture and food industries. This service plays an important frontline role for the detection and reporting of unfamiliar and potentially damaging pests, weeds and diseases of agricultural and quarantine concern.
See http://www.aussiebee.com.au/faq.html for more and extended questions and answers.
See http://www.aussiebee.com.au/faq.html for more and extended questions and answers.
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