Letters

Honeybee swarm season is almost here. It starts in springtime, when the air is warm and ample bee forage is available.

A honeybee swarm is the birth of a new colony and contains about 50,000 bees. Swarms sometimes sound like a train and can darken the sky. Although intimidating, swarms are typically harmless.

Even so, the layperson should not interact with swarms. They should call a beekeeper — never an exterminator. Almost half of American honeybees die every year, and they are integral to our food security, so killing a swarm is the last thing you should do.

Swarms are vulnerable; only 20 percent survive in the wild. When swarms land, they rest for a few minutes to a few days and send out scout bees to search for a dry, dark cavity to call home. They don’t make holes in your home — they find existing openings. So be sure to seal all cracks and crevices to prevent swarms (and other pests) from entering your home.

If a swarm of honeybees moves into your home, call a beekeeper — never an exterminator. Beekeepers will remove and rehome the bees. They also remove the honey, pollen, beeswax, and all the adult and unborn bees, and place it all in a new hive.

Killing the colony and leaving it in your home can cause many problems. The honey will ferment and drip. Thousands of dead bees will mold and fester. Wax moths can move in and eat wood. Other pests can be attracted to this unpleasant mess.

The best thing to do is to call a beekeeper, especially since it is illegal for pest control or homeowners to kill honeybee swarms or colonies in structures throughout Suffolk County.

A New York State law to protect honeybees is currently pending. To learn more and support this important legislation, please follow this link: nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A6329.

Long Island beekeepers who are experienced at removing swarms and colonies can be found on the Long Island Beekeepers Club website: Report A Swarm — Long Island Beekeepers Club. A New York State list of beekeepers created by Cornell can be found under “swarm catcher list” at agriculture.ny.gov.

This information is important if you eat food or know people or animals who eat food. Honeybees pollinate many foods and are responsible for the reproduction of most flowering trees and plants. Plants provide food and shelter for wildlife, hold soil in place, reduce erosion, and decrease sedimentation of water bodies. Plants also absorb carbon and create oxygen.

It’s almost swarm season. Please help honeybees continue to pollinate flowers — and always call a beekeeper if you spot a swarm or find an unwanted honeybee colony in a structure. Thank you.

Deborah Klughers

Hampton Bays