Some of you may already know that I am an amateur beekeeper with a few honey bee hives at home. The other day, one of my hives swarmed – simply put, that’s when half the bees stay in their hive with a new queen, and the other half takes off with the old queen to find a new home. Between leaving the original hive and finding a new home, the swarm will rest on objects like branches, fences, house eves, etc. While the main swarm and the queen rest, scout bees are out looking for a new home which could be a hollow in a tree or any type of place that gives them protection and room to make comb. Swarming is nature’s way to make new colonies, and keep the world populated with these valuable pollinators.
When swarming, bees are not at all aggressive, as they try not to deplete their energies because they will need those to establish a new home which takes all their effort. A swarm may look a bit discomforting but its not. If you do see a swarm, do not panic or get out the bug and wasp spray. Just leave them alone- they will fly off to a new home usually in a day or two, if not in a few hours. The other thing to do is to call a bee keeper who will take the swarm and put it into a hive. You can find a “swarm collector” at the following web site:
http://cjba.njbeekeepers.org/swarms.htm
The reason that I put this on this blog is that a golf course (and a yard) is a place we might come across a swarm. I have seen honey bees in our flowers so I know there is at least one colony in the area (honey bees will travel a few miles for pollen and nectar). If you do see a swarm on the course, let me know. If you find one in your yard, please call a bee keeper. Whatever you do, please don’t kill a honey bee, as their numbers are dwindling due to diseases and an undiscovered causal agent that causes colony collapse disorder.
By the way, I caught the swarm that had left my hive. The bees collected on a pine tree branch about 15’ up, so I got out the ladder, grabbed a hive box, and went up there and shook the bees off the branch and into the hive. The swarm is doing well, making comb and bringing back pollen. And when they bring pollen back to the hive, it is a sign that the bees are out there pollinating flowers and most likely, pollinating the crops that will feed you! If you’d like to see the video of the swarm I caught, and the full story, visit http://seventeenfarms.blogspot.com/
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“The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.” Arnold Palmer
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I have created this site to help keep you up to date with the activities of the Greens Department. I will regularly post information concerning our maintenance programs, our activities, and course projects. From time to time I will post other information and stories that I feel might be of interest to you. As always, I thank you for supporting the Greens Department and our staff at
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About Me
- Ken Thompson, Golf Course Superintendent
- I came to work at Greate Bay in 1983 as the assistant superintendent after interning three years at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore PA, where I took part in preparing it for the 1981 USGA US Open Championship. In 1985 I was promoted to be Greate Bay's Superintendent. In 1987 I left Greate Bay to oversee the grow in of Stone Harbor Golf Club, and continued on there as the superintendent until 2002. At that time, I returned here to Greate Bay, with the goal to continually improve it's condition, and it is proving to be the most rewarding time of my career!
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