A BEEKEEPER has urged residents not to be afraid of swarming bees – likening the process to the insects “going on Rightmove”.

Ian Warmer has beehives in Alderholt, Ringwood and Ferndown, and is expecting a busy summer as the swarming season begins.

Swarming is a honey bee colony's natural means of reproduction when the old queen leaves with a cluster of other bees. They leave their hive and find somewhere to hang in a cluster until scout bees decide on their new home.

This process can alarm people, Ian said, with as many as 15,000 bees swarming in one group at any given time.

He recalled a job in 2022 when around 30,000 swarming bees caused traffic to hit a standstill outside Tesco in Ferndown.

He said: “The workers go out to try and find a new home, a bit like when people go on Rightmove – they have to work out which one is best for them.”

Despite the alarming sight and sound of thousands of bees settling in your garden, Ian said people should not panic as being stung is “extremely unlikely” unless the bees are provoked.

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“They’ve got no home to defend,” he said. “Think of it like people in a public park, it’s open and we all share it. It’s only different when they have a home. If someone comes into your home uninvited and starts disturbing everything you’re going to defend it, that’s the way bees work as well.

“It’s harder for them to sting during the swarm period because their bodies are full of honey and they can’t bend their abdomens to sting you, that’s why they’re so docile.

“But obviously if you aggravate them, they’ll fight back.”

Swarming bees have been known to temporarily settle on various unusual objects, including letterboxes, chimneys, and even cars.

However, it is important that they are safely re-homed by beekeepers otherwise they could die. Ian said up to 80 per cent of a colony can die if a new home is not found quickly enough.

Most swarms occur from May to the end of July, however, the process can start in April.

The British Beekeepers Association enlists beekeepers across the country as ‘swarm collectors’ who, like Ian, rescue the swarms and give them a home.

Visit bbka.org.uk/find-a-local-swarm-collector for more.