Is it really bees?

• Tight cluster the size of a football or rugby ball
• Hanging from a branch, fence, wall or post
• Thousands of bees moving gently around the cluster
• Appears suddenly — usually May to July
• Not scattered individuals on flowers
• Not inside a wall cavity or roof (that is a colony, not a swarm)

Report it — a local beekeeper can collect the swarm for free.

• Large, fuzzy, round body with visible stripes
• Usually alone on flowers, or a small nest (under 200 bees)
• Nest in a bird box, compost heap, or mouse hole
• Not a swarm — colonies are small and die off by autumn
• Not aggressive unless the nest is directly disturbed

Beekeepers cannot relocate bumblebees. Leave them — they will be gone by October.

• Smooth, shiny yellow-and-black body (no fuzz)
• Papery grey nest in a loft, shed or hedge
• Aggressive around the nest, especially late summer
• Not a honey bee — beekeepers will not come out for these

Call a licensed pest controller, not a beekeeper.

• A single bee, often smaller than a honey bee
• Small holes in a lawn, wall, or sandy bank
• Active for only a few weeks in spring or summer
• Do not live in colonies — no swarm to collect
• Do not sting unless trapped

Harmless and short-lived. Enjoy them while they are here.