What to do if You Encounter a Bee Swarm

February through August is considered swarm season in San Diego, which explains the recent uptick in beehives and swarms.

Due to the rain this winter there are more flowers which has led to more bees.

A swarm may contain anywhere between 2000 to 30,000 bees. They occur when there is overcrowding in a beehive. Swarms are temporary homes for bees before they fly away looking for a permanent home or as we call them beehives.

While it may look and sound scary, swarms are usually gentle and rarely sting unless directly provoked.

Here's some advice if you run into a swarm:

If a swarm lands on your property chances are it'll be gone in 2 or 3 days.
The best thing that you can do is not disturb it or try to remove the bees yourself.
Don't swat the bees, rapid movement will only agitate them more. Do not spray the bees with water or any kind of bug repellent.
Pay close attention to your yard and Listen for buzzing.
If you often see bees entering or leaving a specific area, those are signs that something is up.
If you want to remove the bees off of your property, call your local bee keeper.

It takes approximately 1,100 bee stings to cause fatal injuries on a healthy adult and up to 500 stings to fatally harm a child.