Bees

Bees are not classified as pests, as they are important in the pollination of fruit and flowers. They should not be destroyed, unless they are in a location that is causing a danger to humans or pets, and cannot be collected by an experienced bee keeper. 

There are many types of bees, such as bumble, honey, masonry & mining. Only the honey bee forms a swarm. A colony of honeybees reproduces itself by swarming. In the spring, the colony will start to build in numbers quite rapidly and once the hive starts to become overcrowded, the worker bees will rear a new queen.  When the new queen is due to emerge from her cell, the older worker bees will fill themselves with honey and fly off with the old queen to create a new colony. When the swarm lands they will gather in a cluster surrounding their queen. 

Please don’t panic if you do come across a swarm - the bees are usually quite docile while they are swarming, although the noise from their wings can be quite loud when they are in flight. To be on the safe side keep children and pets well away so that the bees are not disturbed, close any open windows overlooking the swarm, and then telephone a local beekeeper or bee keeping association. 

The council does not offer a service for the treatment of bees’ nests. Should you believe a bees’ nest is a health & safety hazard you should contact a commercial pest control company for further information. Please note that bees can only be destroyed if they are in a dangerous location.