Greetings. I live in the middle of a farm field in a new home. At night, just after sunset, I have a swarm of honeybees (thousands) banging into th...
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Honey bee swarming house #875606
Asked July 02, 2024, 8:56 AM EDT
Greetings. I live in the middle of a farm field in a new home. At night, just after sunset, I have a swarm of honeybees (thousands) banging into the house. Once it gets dark I don’t know what becomes of them but by morning and for the daytime they are not around. This has happened several evening lately. I am concerned that they don’t try and find a way into my attic space through the eaves but otherwise assume I’m just in their way as they finish foraging through the hayfields on their way to their hive nest where ever that might be (hopefully not in my attic!). Is this nothing to worry about or should I be concerned?
Cheboygan CountyMichigan
Expert Response
Hello,
Thanks for reaching out with this question. Are you able to take photos and videos of the honey bees while they are flying and possibly any dead ones on the ground? There are several kinds of bees and other insects that look similar to honey bees, so it's usually helpful to begin by confirming they are honey bees.
Honey bee colonies sometimes create nests in cavities of homes and structures, although you'd expect to see bees flying throughout the day, not just immediately after sunset. If you confirm that a honey bee colony has established a nest in your attic or another part of your home, you can hire a beekeeper who does cut-outs to remove the colony.
Since you are seeing thousands of honey bees fly into your home after sunset, I wonder if they are attracted to light coming from your home. Do you have a flood light or some other artificial light? If so, it may be attracting honey bees from a nearby hive.
Thanks so much for your advice. Last night there were only few dozen bees that showed up just before 10pm and only stayed for about 15 minutes. I went outside and convinced myself they were not nesting, and in fact ai saw no bees all day yesterday so they must not have a hive in my house.
I’m not sure what kind of bees these are but they appear to come out of the hay field in the evening. I found no dead ones on the ground in spite of their numbers and have not attempted to catch them as of yet, but I might if conditions warrant.
I was mainly concerned about them constructing a hive in my house but I’m convinced they have not done so.
Again, thank you for your time and attention, and great thoughts on options to consider.
