Latest news with #swarming
CTV News
a day ago
- Science
- CTV News
Honeybee swarming season begins in Nova Scotia
As honeybee swarming season begins in Nova Scotia, a local beekeeper gives tips on what to do if you see this phenomenon in the wild. Swarming usually occurs in the spring and is a honeybee colony's way of reproducing and expanding their colony. While a swarm can often contain tens of thousands of bees, Graham McGuire, a hobby beekeeper in Halifax, says they're mostly docile if left alone. 'Honeybee swarms are usually anywhere from a maybe a cantaloupe size to over a basketball size, and it's a solid mass of bees hanging all together and there would obviously be some in flight around it. So they do look a little different from a wasp or a hornet, and that sort of swarming, clumping behavior is very distinctive to honeybees.' Honeybees can be identified through several features like their size - being smaller than wasps, hornets, and bumblebees - as well as having slightly more muted colours. Honeybees also lack any hair on their bodies. Anyone who comes across a swarm is recommended by McGuire to contact the Nova Scotia Beekeepers Association as they maintain a list of swarms and can dispatch beekeepers to move them to a safe space if needed. 'If you don't know what you're doing with them obviously it's best to call a professional, and the Nova Scotia Beekeeper's association tries to work with hobby beekeepers all around the province to make sure the bees instead of being exterminated end up in a safe place.' With files from CTV's Jim Kvammen. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Police ridiculed after investigating a swarm of bees in Hampshire
Police officers were mocked on social media after investigating a swarm of bees by a pedestrian crossing. Photos showed four officers staring at a cluster of the insects in the centre of Winchester, Hampshire. The bees had landed on the traffic light pole while waiting to find out where their new home would be – a practice known as swarming, where a group breaks off from a main hive to follow a new queen. Swarming season occurs between May and July and can involve thousands of bees. The bees hang in a cluster while 'scouts' go and find a new home for the breakaway colony. A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said the police were on patrol when they were 'flagged down and made aware of a swarm of bees'. The spokesman added: 'They called the council and local beekeeper to deal with the situation and within minutes were continuing with their patrols.' However, the officers were soon mocked on social media, with one resident joking on Facebook it had taken four of the city's 'finest' to protect the queen bee. Other locals said 'let's bee having you' and used the phrase 'hot buzz' – a play on the slang term 'hot fuzz', which was used as the title for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's police comedy. And some suggested it was a 'sting operation' or a 'honey trap' that would require police to '(honey) comb the area'.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hot Buzz! Police are ridiculed after sending team of officers to deal with a swarm of bees
Police have been ridiculed for sending a team of officers to deal with a swarm of bees that had landed on a traffic light pole. A photo posted on social media shows officers and a PCSO looking flummoxed as they stare at the cluster of pollinators in the centre of Winchester, Hampshire. The bees had gathered on the post in the Cathedral city as they waited to find out where their new home would be - a practice known as swarming, where a group breaks off from the main hive to follow a new queen. On Facebook, one resident joked that it had taken the city's 'finest' to protect the 'queen'. There were plenty of puns in the comments with locals saying 'let's bee having you', and 'hot buzz' - a play on the slang term 'hot fuzz' which was used as the title for Edgar Wright's police comedy starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Others suggested it was a 'sting operation' or a 'honey trap' that would require police to '(honey) comb the area'. Someone else added it was a 'worthy cause' as bees 'do more good than people'. Swarming season occurs between May and July and can involve thousands of bees, the creatures hang in a cluster whilst 'scouts' go and find a new home for the breakaway colony. A photo posted on social media shows two officers and a PCSO looking flummoxed as they stare at the cluster of pollinators in the centre of Winchester, Hampshire One of Britain's leading beekeepers warned earlier this month the heatwave could create a 'nectar tsunami' that triggers a rapid swarming event. Laurence Edwards, 39, said: 'After the recent hot spell, beekeepers across the UK are seeing an explosion in swarming activity and the soaring temperatures over the next few days could potentially result in a massive increase in bee swarms,' he explained. 'What the public will see is a "cloud" of up to 50,000 bees. The sky turns black. The sound is deafening.' While this sounds like the start of a horror film, Mr Edwards maintains that the swarming bees are 'generally not aggressive.' He added: 'Swarming bees are generally not aggressive. They have no home to defend, no reason to sting.' Mr Edwards, who runs Black Mountain Honey, explained that swarming is the honeybees' 'way of surviving'. 'It's how they reproduce on a colony level,' he said. 'When a hive becomes overcrowded, the old queen leaves with thousands of workers to find a new home. 'It's not chaos, it's one of the most extraordinary natural behaviours on the planet.' Usually, beekeepers actively manage their colonies to prevent swarming. However, the UK heatwave could have provided the perfect conditions for a mass swarming event. 'Heatwaves can trigger a "nectar tsunami" that saturates the inside of the beehive with this sweet, sugary solution,' Mr Edwards warned. 'This is generally good for bees but if the beekeeper hasn't provided enough space for this bounty of nectar, it can trigger rapid swarming events, even in urban areas.'
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning to Brits over an influx of BEES: UK heatwave could create a 'nectar tsunami' that triggers a rapid swarming event, experts warn
With temperatures in parts of the UK set to hit 32°C today, many Brits will be looking forward to heading into the garden to enjoy the sun. But a new warning may encourage you to keep your eyes peeled while you bask in the rays. One of the UK's leading beekeepers has warned of an influx of bees into Britain. According to Laurence Edwards, 39, the UK heatwave could create a 'nectar tsunami' that triggers a rapid swarming event. 'After the recent hot spell, beekeepers across the UK are seeing an explosion in swarming activity and the soaring temperatures over the next few days could potentially result in a massive increase in bee swarms,' he explained. 'What the public will see is a "cloud" of up to 50,000 bees. The sky turns black. The sound is deafening.' While this sounds like the start of a horror film, Mr Edwards maintains that the swarming bees are 'generally not aggressive.' He added: 'Swarming bees are generally not aggressive. They have no home to defend, no reason to sting.' Mr Edwards, who runs Black Mountain Honey, explained that swarming is the honeybees' 'way of surviving'. 'It's how they reproduce on a colony level,' he said. 'When a hive becomes overcrowded, the old queen leaves with thousands of workers to find a new home. 'It's not chaos, it's one of the most extraordinary natural behaviours on the planet.' Usually, beekepers actively manage their colonies to prevent swarming. However, the UK heatwave could provide the perfect conditions for a mass swarming event. Temperatures across parts of the country will hit 32°C today, before similar highs tomorrow and then 33°C on Saturday. 'Heatwaves can trigger a "nectar tsunami" that saturates the inside of the beehive with this sweet, sugary solution,' Mr Edwards warned. If the swarm is at your home, it's best to call a local beekeper rather than pest control, according to Mr Edwards 'This is generally good for bees but if the beekeeper hasn't provided enough space for this bounty of nectar, it can trigger rapid swarming events, even in urban areas.' If you see a swarm heading your way, your instincts will probably tell you to run away. Instead, Mr Edwards encourages Brits to 'enjoy' the 'magical' event. 'Stay calm. Don't run, don't swat, don't spray. ENJOY. It's truly magical!' he said. However, he added: 'Keep your distance. Observe from afar.' If the swarm is at your home, it's best to call a local beekeper rather than pest control, according to Mr Edwards. 'Swarms can usually be safely collected within hour,' he added. How do honeybees make a queen? Honeybees make a queen by treating a normal youngster in a unique way, causing it to develop into a queen rather than a worker. They start by building a special, larger cell, and filling it with a substance called 'royal jelly'. This is a combination of water, sugars and proteins that appears milky in colour, secreted from glands in the heads of worker bees. A youngster is then plucked from its cell and placed into the unique cell with the royal jelly, which it consumes. To aide its development, a study published in Science Advances in 2015 suggested, it is also denied pollen and honey to aide its development, which is fed to normal workers.
CTV News
09-06-2025
- CTV News
Teen swarming attack caught on camera in Kitchener, Ont.
A shocking video has been circulating online of a swarming incident involving teens in Kitchener, Ont. It showed at least 10 high school students surrounding a person laying on the ground, curled up in a ball as they are repeatedly punched and kicked, while others stand by and record the attack on their phones. At the end of the video, one person rushed in and threw their body over the victim to protect them from further violence. According to the Waterloo Regional Police Service, the attack happened around 3:30 p.m. on Friday at a plaza on Block Line Road, beside St. Mary's High School. Students from the Catholic secondary school told CTV News it was a fight between a St. Mary's student and teens from another school in the region. swarming video student teen teens kitchener Still from a swarming video allegedly involving high school students in Kitchener. (Submitted) One student, who claimed he was the victim in the video, said he was involved in another fight in that same plaza. It was that altercation, he explained, that lead to Friday's swarming attack. The Waterloo Catholic District School Board shared the following statement: 'We are aware of a physical altercation that took place last Friday outside a nearby plaza involving several students,' a statement from the read. The involvement of any identified students has been addressed at the school level, in accordance with board policies.' — Waterloo Catholic District School Board Students said the person who came to the victim's rescue was a customer at a nearby business. CTV News was told by both teens and parents that fights often happen in the area. St. Mary's High School in Kitchener St. Mary's High School in Kitchener on June 9, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) One parent said she attempted to warn the principal at St. Mary's but claimed she was told that nothing could be done because the fights happen off school property. The security company that monitors the plaza told CTV News they were not aware of a fight on Friday, while businesses said they heard a commotion but didn't think anything of it as they are used to big groups of rowdy teens. The Waterloo Regional Police Service said they continue to investigate the attack.
