With warmer weather and plenty of pollen sources available now, our pollinators are out and active. Swarming activity will be on the rise. Swarms form when a colony divides and the queen bee decides to leave an established colony to find a new location. Worker bees will follow the queen and tend to be seen in clusters on tree limbs and bushes before finding a cavity to build a new hive.

A swarm is an interesting sight to see and can be fearsome to homeowners when discovered. The swarm will quickly move on to a new location if left alone. Swarming bees are quite docile and can be collected by experienced beekeepers and relocated into a constructed apiary. Sometimes these swarms make their new homes in the cavities of trees, wood walls, and chimneys, which can be problem for homeowners.  

The Guernsey-Noble Beekeepers and the Ohio State Beekeepers Association has a list of members who are willing to collect swarms and do wall cutouts. It is available here: Swarm List.