Backyard beekeeper Jason McMillen vacuums a swarm of bees he’s removing from a tree outside La Plata County Courthouse. Healthy colonies try to reproduce in spring. Part of a colony will leave with the queen searching for a new home while remaining bees raise a new queen in the existing hive. Colony-collapse disorder and other losses have beekeepers urging anyone finding a swarm not to kill them, but to call a beekeeper who will safely relocate them. Honeyville keeps a list of beekeepers who can help. Usually, swarming bees are less aggressive and less likely to sting. But some bees may be disoriented or without a queen, making them more aggressive. Honeyville’s Danny Culhane says only beekeepers should relocate hives.
Backyard beekeeper Jason McMillen vacuums a swarm of bees he’s removing from a tree outside La Plata County Courthouse. Healthy colonies try to reproduce in spring. Part of a colony will leave with the queen searching for a new home while remaining bees raise a new queen in the existing hive. Colony-collapse disorder and other losses have beekeepers urging anyone finding a swarm not to kill them, but to call a beekeeper who will safely relocate them. Honeyville keeps a list of beekeepers who can help. Usually, swarming bees are less aggressive and less likely to sting. But some bees may be disoriented or without a queen, making them more aggressive. Honeyville’s Danny Culhane says only beekeepers should relocate hives.JOSH STEPHENSON/Durango Herald