Identifying swarms and nests
When a group of bees are under
predation or in search of a new nest they will swarm together either while
flying or on stationary objects such as cavities within trees and caves or even
your roof or letterbox (Hepburn 2011; DAFF 2013c). The swarm of bees may
include hundreds to thousands of bees who are protecting the queen bee located
within the swarm (DAFF 2013c). In some regions of the world the Asian honey bee
and European honey bee migrate in swarms to avoid harsh weather and decline in
the availability of pollen and nectar (Hepburn 2011).
If the swarm is looking for a new place of residence they are usually less aggressive (DAFF 2013c). HOWEVER it is important that if you have found a swarm of bees to leave them alone. If by using the points of identification listed below, believe it is a swarm of Asian honey bees, contact Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 and refer to Appendix B for questions you may be asked to help them with their investigation. To distinguish a swarm of Asian honey bees from a swarm of European honey bees consider the following points (DAFF 2013c).
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