Eco-Friendly Words of Wisdom: Let It Bee

When farmer Andrew Ranck shared a video of thousands of honeybees congregating on his Organic Valley farm in Pennsylvania, we were in awe and thought others may be interested to know more about these essential, sometimes overlooked wonders. I mean, who doesn’t want to know why bees “waggle” or what to do if a bee swarm is too close for comfort? Hint: Don’t kill the bees!

Bees and other pollinators help plants reproduce. When pollinators are in danger, so are all plants, animals, the food system and the planet! Shrinking habitat, climate change and the use of insecticides are just some threats to pollinators, including beloved bees.

Land stewards of 1,600 Organic Valley farms in 29 states are busy protecting where your food comes from. This includes ensuring biodiversity is present and butterflies and bees can thrive. Bees and other pollinators can benefit from an organic approach — one that leaves out chemicals that can harm pollinators.

Bees are incredibly important partners in producing many of the great Organic Valley® products we enjoy. Bees pollinate many plants, including those found in gardens, fields of grass and the organic pastures our cows rely on for food.

On average, organic farms have about 30% more biodiversity than conventional farms, according to a study.

It is evident on Ranck’s farm, where pollinators and other critters are abundant. While many people would shy away from bees, they are a welcome sight! His family farm is home to thousands of bees. Check out this buzzworthy video and then read on to learn more about these fascinating pollinators:

How close would you get to that impressive swarm! Swarms can include a few hundred to tens of thousands of bees, but typically contain 10,000 to 40,000. The weight of an average worker honey bee is about four- to five-thousandths of an ounce, similar to a single grain of salt. Swarms usually weigh just over 11 pounds, 4 ounces, which is smaller than an average Thanksgiving turkey.

Why Are Bees Important to Farmers?

So what are the benefits of these buzzing bee swarms? Bee swarms mean pollinator populations are growing, and that’s something Organic Valley farmers get excited about! Some farmers even grow pollinator plots to promote these visitors.

“We need bees for plants that require animal movement to pollinate,” said Elina L. Niño, Ph.D., professor of Cooperative Extension for Apiculture, Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of California, Davis.

Many foods we enjoy today rely on pollinators: apples, blueberries, almonds and cucumbers among them and Approximately 35% of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Since Organic Valley cows thrive on pasture, plenty of healthy pasture plants are needed. Alfalfa, clover and other legumes make up a good portion of many pastures and legumes rely on pollinators to keep growing and reproducing. Our farmers know, too, that diversity in plant life can beget diversity in animal life.

What Causes a Swarm of Bees? Ask Her Majesty

Bees swarm because they’re running out of room in their current home. It’s time for the colony to split. Some will stay and some will go.

Associate Professor Niño is also the lead at the UC Davis E. L. Niño Bee Lab. She has been studying bees most of her life and says the colony’s communication efforts around swarming are incredible.

“In the nest, the colony grows to a size they can’t grow any longer,” Niño said. “They detect they’re running out of space based on the queen honey bee’s pheromone distribution throughout the hive.”

The other bees can sense that the queen’s pheromone is not as saturated in the air as it once was, so they start preparing to swarm. They prevent the queen from feeding and make her exercise so her abdomen will become smaller so she’s fit to fly. When everyone is ready, the queen starts laying eggs that will become future potential queen bees. The current queen leaves with some of the other bees.

What Is a Bee Swarm?

A bee swarm is a group of bees in general, but it’s also the name for a group of honey bees that come together in the wild. A whole colony swarms together. Along with the queen, there are drone bees, worker bees and special scout bees that will ultimately be the ones who find the swarm a new home.

Groups of bees have many names. You might think of a hive as a home for bees, but it’s also an appropriate word for a group of bees. A colony is a broader term for a group of similar creatures living as a community, but bees fit the bill for this definition. Some of the other collective nouns for bees include a bike, a charm, a grist and a rabble. The main term for a group of bees, though, is a swarm. Whether they’re in or out of lodging, a group of honey bees can always be called a swarm.

Common/European/Western honey bees (all the same, just named differently in different places) are the main (and possibly only) swarming bees in North America, according to Rich Hatfield, Xerces Society Endangered Species Program senior conservation biologist. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is committed to protecting native pollinators and their habitats.

Honey bees are not native to North America. Bees were delivered from Europe to the colonies in 1622 and they thrived and spread, both on their own and with the help of people. Pioneers helped honey bees cross the Rocky Mountains! The original import technically makes honey bees an invasive species, though they pollinate many plants, particularly ones that were also imported.

Honey bees, including those that first arrived in the U.S., also have a long history (Hello 2600 B.C.E. Egypt!) of being domesticated. They are valued as pollinators and for producing honey. That status also means that “wild” honey bees are technically feral, having descended from domesticated bees.

What to Do If You See a Bee Swarm

If you see a bee swarm, the best thing you can do is leave it be. Swarms are temporary, and the bees will likely be on to their new home in a day or two. It’s OK to observe the swarm from a distance, but it’s best to avoid disturbing it.

If a bee swarm has landed somewhere less than ideal, like on your car mirror, try not to panic, Niño said. Swarming bees are rarely aggressive. Next, look up your local beekeeping organization (other resources include this Swarm Catcher List curated by Betterbee and the cooperative extension if your state has one). A local organization likely has a list of beekeepers who collect swarms. The swarm catchers can typically help for a small fee or sometimes for free.

“They’re just chilling and trying to find a new place,” Niño said of the swarms.

Where and When Do Bees Swarm?

Bees tend to swarm near their old hive. On average, they’ll find a spot 66 to 98 feet from their previous home.

Swarming bees prefer somewhere protected, so they’ll most often hang out in a tree or a bush, but anywhere they can get into will work in a pinch, Niño said. They are biding their time, living on the food in their stomachs, while scout bees go out and find options for a new permanent hive.

Bees usually swarm during the spring. That can vary depending on the year and the part of the country. They wait for the first warm spring weather. Swarming can continue into early summer. They need some plants to be flowering so they know they’ll have a food source when they’re ready to start building their new hive.

“It really depends how long it takes until they find a new nest,” Niño said. “It can take a day, a couple of days. The weather can play a role.”

What Happens While Bees Swarm?

While the majority of the swarm is hanging out on the tree branch or wherever they’ve decided to call home for a bit, a couple of the bees have an important job to do.

“Scout bees go out and look for a new nest location,” Niño said. “They’ll dance and try and convince others this is the perfect nest.”

Scout bees are the most experienced worker bees in the swarm. Due to their experience going out and about looking for food, scouts are trusted to do as their name suggests and scout for new locations for the swarm to build a hive. About 300 to 500 scout bees travel far and wide seeking permanent shelter for their colony.

Honey bees prefer to create a hive in a cavity. They particularly like tree cavities, but they need about 40 liters of space, Niño said. While a natural place is ideal, they’ll make a hive anywhere they can find if needed, even inside water meters or between house walls.

Scout bees are also looking for a new hive location near abundant food resources. That’s why expanding pollinator habitat is so important, Hatfield said.

Dancing Bees? Yes, Please!

When a scout bee has found a good spot for a new hive, she flies back to the swarm and dances a dance called a waggle. Her movements tell the other bees where the prospective location is and other aspects about the spot.

The more promising a location is, the faster the scout bee dances in an effort to get the most other scouts to notice her. If she catches the attention of others, they go to check the location out together. If they like it, they can waggle about the spot together in hopes of gaining even more attention from their fellow scouts.

Over time, the scout bees come to an 80% consensus and the swarm leaves en masse for the proposed location and starts to build a new hive.

Absconding is different from swarming. With swarming, a portion of the colony would stay behind to maintain the old hive. Absconding is when the entire colony leaves a hive due to stress, interference from other creatures or disease. It doesn’t happen as much with honey bees as with other species of bees, but it can occur.

The way the bees communicate is impressive.

“From the start of organizing themselves and knowing that they need to swarm and it’s time to go, we’re running out of space up to discussion about where to go and what they’re next nest should be; The amount and type of information they’re able to communicate and successfully find a nest is amazing,” Niño said.

Keep the Buzz Going

Organic Valley is committed to working with nature, not against it. Our farms provide plenty of room for cows to roam pasture and space for bees, butterflies and pollinators big and small to congregate. You can help pollinators, too! Creating safe havens for all pollinators benefits the planet.

Swarming bees may have officially left their original hive and are embarking on a journey to start a new one in a new place. We strive to make Organic Valley farms into places that will suit their needs!

“It’s really exciting to me,” Ranck said of the bee swarm on his farm, “because this is one of the things I love about organic farming, is just the opportunity to protect and preserve what’s here.”

All Organic Valley® products are certified organic. They’re always produced with no toxic pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic hormones or GMO anything.