SEEING a few bees during the spring is no big deal, but how often can an entire swarm be seen clinging to a car?
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Local beekeeper Mindy O’Leary received a phone call from a friend on Sunday, alerting her to the presence of a swarm of bees on William Street.
Ms O’Leary was unable to attend, but sent her son Jack in her place, who came across a Toyota Corolla covered by thousands of Italian honey bees in front of the ANZ bank.
“We put them into a box and we keep them there for a while to make sure they are healthy,” she said.
“Because we are part of the Bathurst Beekeepers, the members, they are using [the bees] to get started.”
Ms O’Leary couldn’t pinpoint why the bees would swarm in the centre of town of all places, but explained that the insects travel together in search of a new home in the spring and often stop in places to give the queen a rest while scout bees keep searching.
This is the second time bees have swarmed in the CBD in ltess than a fortnight.
Ms O’Leary said her family removed “a massive swarm” from William Street on October 14, which had just landed on a pole beside one of the lamp standards.
“We’ve had a few [call-outs], but they are the only two we’ve had in the CBD. They’re mostly in people’s gardens.”
The O’Leary family was also called out to Bathurst Railway Station on Friday to remove another swarm.
The family only started keeping bees in recent years after joining the Bathurst Beekeepers group.
Since learning more about bees, Ms O’Leary has found that there are a few misconceptions people have about bees.
One of the most common is to do with allergies.
“Lots of people think they are allergic to bees, but they just react quite badly but they are not anaphylactic,” Ms O’Leary said.
She advises people who spot a swarm of bees in the area to watch them, but don’t go near them.
“They are not necessarily going to come and attack you; they’re busy,” Ms O’Leary said. “They are generally on their way to find something.”
People concerned about a swarm can contact Ms O’Leary on 0438 800 544, who can come out herself or send a family member to relocate them.
Anyone interested in learning more about bees or who would like to start beekeeping are encouraged to attended meetings with Bathurst Beekeepers.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday.
Visit www.facebook.com/BathurstBeekeepers for more information.