Be alert for bee swarms

With spring in the air, healthy colonies of honeybees will “swarm,” sending dark clouds of these beneficial insects into the open to look for new homes. If you are lucky enough to see a swarm of honeybees clustered on a telephone pole, fence post, vine or tree-limb, please, don’t call a pest control company. Call local beekeeper and President of the Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Association, Randy Sue Collins at 365.4330 or Thea Vierling at 483.0426. The pair of women will come out and see if they are able to relocate the bees. Or visit the Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Association swarm list at sonomabees.org/swarm.

Swarming honeybees have gorged on honey before landing in your yard, according to DietHive. They have filled their full stomachs so that they have enough food to build their new home and are very gentle in this condition. They just want to find a place to rest, they are not out to sting anyone.

Bees are not pests. Honeybees are pollinating insects essential to human livelihood and are responsible for pollinating one-third of the U.S. food supply. They are non-threatening, non-aggressive vegetarians who aren’t interested in stinging you unless you swat at them, step on them barefoot, or disturb their hive.

Pest-control companies will often charge a considerable fee to poison and kill these gentle, beneficial, necessary insects. Let them deal with yellow-jackets and termites, and let your local beekeeper collect and protect that honeybee swarm in your backyard.