There was certainly a buzz in the air in Westhoughton over the weekend, when not one but two swarms of bees landed in the town on the look out for a new home.
Bee keeper Derek Cartwright of Horwich Honey initially got a call from a resident on Saturday (May 20) to say there was a swarm of bees on Market Street, and a bee keeper went to sort this out.
On Sunday he received another call to say there was another swarm on the same street where he stayed for around an hour.
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Derek says that whilst he does not know why the bees chose this particular area, he says that whilst they are swarming, they are waiting for scout bees to find another home, and so they find somewhere to stop.
Bee colonies split in two, which is a natural process, where the colony reproduces by the old queen leaving with some of the bees.
He said: “I don’t know why they were attracted to that particular area, but the parent colony waits for another nest, finding a place to stop.
“They send out scout bees to find somewhere to live.”
Derek provided a hive for the bees, which he says the bees were “happy to move into” and make it in a home.
This has since been taken to a site in Horwich, with Derek having four hives in total.
He said: “Once I have got some in the hive, they put pheromones out to attract the scout bees.
“I wait for the bees to go in and then shut it.”
He explained that it was especially important to respond to bee swarms as soon as possible to avoid them having to be exterminated.
He said: “If bees get into the cavity or roof space of a house it can be impossible to get them out and because people don’t want bees it can be difficult to do anything other than have them exterminated.
“I go straight away when I’m called to a swarm to try and avoid them being killed.”
Cllr David Chadwick – who represents Westhoughton South said: “It’s necessary to keep nature ticking over.
“I had someone contact me in Westhoughton who is very passionate about bees and beehives, and it’s important we continue going forward with this work.”
If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.
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