Capture and move bee swarms
Bees belong, like wasps and ants, to the order Hymenoptera. They feed on other insects and are the main demographic regulator of the earth’s insects.
By foraging, they carry pollen from flowers and produce honey; so it is not a pest.
How to recognize a bee with certainty (facing the wasp or hornet)? What is its life cycle? Is his sting dangerous? So many questions to which we provide you with professional answers.
| Nom français | Abeille domestique |
| Nom anglais | Western Honey Bee, European Honey Bee |
| Nom latin | Apis mellifera |
| Classe | Insectes |
| Ordre | Hyménoptères |
| Famille | Apidés |
Description of the bee
Apis mellifera, is an insect of the order Hymenoptera
Only the workers produce honey. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is an insect with a yellow hairy body striped with black stripes with little marked size.
It also has two pairs of colorful wings with dark veins. They allow it to fly in all possible directions.
Its eyes allow it to see almost 360 degrees and its antennas serve as odor sensors.
The bee has a proboscis that “sucks” nectar from the flowers and two mandibles, with which they build the wax cells in which they lay eggs.
Its stinger, a defense weapon, is retractable
Bees form a very hierarchical community:
- the Queen,
- female workers,
- bumblebees.
They are grouped into swarms.
Bee life cycle
The bee lives in society in the hive. Only the queen, fertilized by bumblebees, lays the eggs (about 1500 per day) of future generations. She usually lives 5 years. These eggs are protected by the feeding bees that will also feed the larvae.
Worker bees measure 1.2 cm, while the queen measures between 1.5 and 2 cm. False bumblebees, males, appear more massive. They are only there to ensure the reproduction of their species and fertilize the queen.
Royal jelly in the hive?
From the larval state until the end of her life, the queen will be fed exclusively with royal jelly, which is also the food of all the larvae of the hive, without exception, for the first three days of their life.
During these three days of intensive force-feeding, the larvae multiply their weight by 1000!
From the fourth day, the larvae of males and most larvae of females are fed with larval porridge, consisting of fermented pollen and nectar.
They will become the false bumblebees and workers of the colony.
Only the larva destined to become queen will receive royal jelly. This food with specific hormonal functions is at the origin of the differentiation of the female larva into a queen.
At hatching, 21 days later, the worker larvae are fed by the bees.
If the colony becomes too large for the swarm, the young queens leave the nest forming a swarm with workers and bumblebees to create another hive.
Appeler René Gélinas Votre exterminateur local, Expérience et intégrité dans la gestion parasitaire
Tel 514 830 2819
Do not confuse swarm and hive
Swarming is a common phenomenon in bees. This is the natural mode of reproduction and dispersal of bee colonies in nature. It takes place especially in spring, before or after honey:
- the colony of insects splits in two,
- half leaves the usual place with a queen to form a kind of dense, sometimes devastating cloud, and moves to another place.
A swarm of bees can include between 20,000 and 80,000 individuals. At the sight of so many bees, we are entitled to panic.
The hive is not necessarily this practical house whose roof is raised to recover the frames from which the honey flows. It is also the name of the structure built by bees in nature, in a hollow of a tree or any suitable place.
Can a swarm of bees be harmful?
The bee is not harmful, on the contrary, it contributes to the good continuity of the life cycle. Bees by feeding on nectar, pollen and honey allows the reproduction of many plants and fruit trees.
Some professions skillfully use swarms of bees to pollinate their crop.
The risk of bite
Only the worker bee has a stinger; weapon intended to protect the swarm and the queen.
She does not attack men unless she feels unsafe. On the other hand, when a bee stings, it dies, because it leaves its stinger in its prey.
In case of a bee sting, it is especially necessary to keep calm. Carefully observe the bite:
- The bee sting causes redness.
- The pricked area warms up, and then the tissues begin to swell.
The bee sting is painful and even if it seems worrying, this pain will subside and then disappear in a few hours or at worst after a few days.
- Put cold compresses on pricked areas
- Take painkillers.
In case of allergies to bee stings, fevers or local infections may occur Then consult a doctor without delay.
Who to warn in case of swarms in your home?
Bees establish their hive in the countryside or rural areas.
For the inhabitants of these regions, bees are friendly insects. They promote the pollination of flowers and fruit trees.
In addition, the honey they produce is very much appreciated by all. Swarms of bees therefore do not represent any danger to the inhabitants. However, it happens that some peri-urban areas see swarms settle in their gardens.
In this case the exterminator is the right person to contact
The professional exterminator captures the swarm and moves it
A beekeeper or exterminator specializing in bee capture is essential to capture and move swarms of bees safely.
Upon arrival, the bee capture exterminator or beekeeper professional 100% identifies the nature of the bee species you have reported. Then he gives you the most appropriate advice in your situation. And if the swarm of bees is hanging from a branch, there is a good chance that it will go away on its own.
But if it is really necessary to capture and move them, the professional has several processes:
- Use already used hives and move the swarm there, so the conditions are met for another swarm to stay there.
- Proceed to numbness of the bees by smoking them
- Attracting bees to a wax frame containing honey in a new cabin, bees move.
- Honey can also be replaced with propolis or wax. These three elements combined form, in a trap, an adequate climate for the proliferation of bee swarms.
- Some people use other smells. Thus, they use either lemongrass, lemon balm or verbena. Still others use anise or dried odoriferous plants.
- Exterminators also use swarm attracts. They are essences based on alcohol and maceration of dried odoriferous plants.
- There are also swarm-attracting ointments. These ointments are often .
After the swarm was captured and moved, the exterminator sanitized the place where they had built the hive. The place must be cleaned properly, as other bees might come attracted by the smells.
If this is in the house, the cavity will be condemned with polyurethane foam.
Choose an exterminator that really specializes in capturing and relocating bees.
Check that it
- Has an authorization from the Ministère de la faune et des parcs du Québec for the capture and relocation of insects and wild animals,
- Has a C5 rank permit from the Ministère du Développement Durable du Québec; And by following Environment Canada’s regulations,
- Has a work plan
- It uses certified professional technicians in capturing swarms of bees,
- identifies bees beforehand, identifies the source and measures their intensity,
- It uses the appropriate capture method.
- He intervenes with total discretion.
- Gives you a written guarantee on the effectiveness of its capture of bee swarms.
And you, have you experienced the installation of swarms of bees?
