Ask Veronica: I see a swarm of honey bees outside my kitchen window. What should I do?

You may be surprised to learn that your first step is to take a picture. “As of August 1, if somebody says they have a swarm of bees, we feel very strongly that they need to send us a photo because it’s very likely that it’s yellow jackets,” says Scott Klein, co-owner of Isabees, a beekeeping equipment and sugaring supplies company based in St. Louis. The couple says they field a lot of calls at this time of year from people who think they have a honeybee hive or nest, when in reality it’s yellow jackets. Bees, says Klein, tend to swarm in the springtime. [Click here for help differentiating between honey bees and yellow jackets.] 

According to Sueme, yellow jackets are increasing their population at this time of year, but will disband and then die off at the killing frost. “What we tell folks is if a yellow jacket nest is inconvenient or potentially going to be dangerous for the next few months, to have it eradicated by an extermination company,” she says. “However, if they are only a nuisance and can be avoided until the killing frost, that nest will disband, die off, and they do not typically nest in the same location two seasons in a row.” 

But if what you’re witnessing is, in fact, a swarm of bees, it’s important to reach out to a bee-removal specialist as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours of when the bees are first spotted. The goal is to prevent the swarm from moving indoors, building comb, storing honey, and raising brood. In other words, settling into a new permanent home. “Once the bees move into a structure, it's no longer a swarm,” says Sueme. “It's a colony.” And given that it’s easier to collect a swarm of bees rather than remove them from a structure, it’s important to act quickly. 

Isabees, Missouri State Beekeepers Association, and Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association are all good resources for homeowners or property managers with questions about bee removal. Almost every beekeeper is willing to collect a swarm, but not all beekeepers have the skills to do a cutout of a colony. “These are special situations,” says Klein. 

Bee collecting can also be expensive, with some estimates starting around $400. Says Sueme: “If you remove the bees, you really have to do some repair so that another colony doesn’t move right back in.”