Honey bee swarm season
As the weather warms and flowers bloom, beekeepers share that honey bee swarms may be visible.
With that, flowers will be blooming, and a sweet fragrance will be in the air. Missouri honey bees will smell those flowers and be in the air, too. On occasion, you will see a cloud of bees in the air or clumped together on a branch. That is a healthy swarm of honey bees moving on to a new home, said Clayton Lee, Smithville, past president and current membership chair for the Missouri State Beekeepers Association.
Would you like to help those swarming bees find a new home? Lee said the Missouri State Beekeepers Association’s website at mostatebeekeepers.org/bee-swarms can offer two pieces of information: Individuals willing to grab those swarms (located on the swarm catcher map) and if there are no individuals listed for your area, local clubs at mostatebeekeepers.org/local-clubs map. Oftentimes the local beekeeping clubs have their own swarm catcher list, too.
While the swarm may be intimidating, Lee said these bees make honey and if anyone is looking for a source of local Missouri honey, visit the beekeepers website, which includes local clubs. Oftentimes the local beekeeping clubs have their own local honey source list. Also consider stopping by the local farmers market.
Honey bee swarm season beginning soon | Outdoors | mycouriertribune.com
