Are You Ready for the Hudson Valley Honey Bee Swarm?

Wait, what? A honey bee swarm is coming to the Hudson Valley? Does that mean swarms of honey bees will be chasing people down the streets?

For starters, this isn't the movies or a cartoon so bees won't be chasing you down the street. My first reaction to a swarm of anything is not good, because it just sounds awful. However, honey bee swarms are completely natural and occur every year.

So what is a honey bee swarm? It's the bee's natural way of reproduction to be exact. During this process, a single colony of bees will split into multiple more distinct colonies. This process usually takes place in spring, most times within a two to three-week period.

Over the course of the year, worker bees will make what is called 'queen cups', and as the colony is preparing to swarm, the queen will lay eggs in the cups. New queens will be raised, and the colony will swarm as soon as these queen cups are capped, according to Wikipedia.

You will see swarms of honey bees in the Hudson Valley anytime from mid-May through mid-July. The size of a typical honey bee swarm is roughly the size of a soccer ball but can vary, being either bigger or smaller, according to Cornell University. When they are clustered together is the best time for bee catchers to gather.

These swarms may sound a little scary, but they typically won't be aggressive towards you, unless they are provoked. So, pretty much, leave them alone and they will leave you alone. Sounds pretty easy. If you do encounter a swarm of bees on your property, call a professional to remove the bees safely.

Bees are just one of the creatures emerging from hibernation. There are many more that you can expect to see roaming the Hudson Valley.