A Place to Call Our Own

Bee swarms are quite dramatic at their height. Lasting about 30 minutes and with plenty of noise they eventually settle on a branch or post, forming a clump the size of a rugby ball. This is then knocked so that it drops into box, when the following day the many thousands of bees are unceremoniously tipped onto the ground in front of a new hive or nucleus box (as in todays image). Naturally programmed to head upwards they make their way up a board and into the dark recesses of their new home. Easy.

It can look very brave walking amongst a swarm of bees, however, despite the noise and turmoil they are really just about at their least likely to sting, loaded with honey they are full and soporific and just want to get together in a new place called home and with a new queen. There are probably few more natural and amazing phenomena in the countryside.