A LARGE swarm of bees outside a Bathurst preschool prompted an urgent call out to local beekeepers just before pick-up time on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was the ninth call out for Bathurst beekeepers during the past fortnight as swarms of bees have plagued the central business district.
Good rainfall during last few months, combined with good vegetation growth, have provided the perfect conditions for bees, beekeeper Mindy O’Leary said.
Her son Jack, 17, was among the crew called out to catch the bees which had congregated on a tree branch outside the Elizabeth Chifley Presbyterian Preschool on George Street around 2.30pm on Thursday.
“It could be a risk, especially near a preschool,” he said
The team cut a branch off the tree and then smoked the bees to encourage them into the portable hive before they were removed from the scene.
Elizabeth Chifley Presbyterian Preschool teacher Min McClelland said while staff were initially concerned about the close proximity of the bees, the incident did provide a great learning opportunity for the children.
It could be a risk, especially near a preschool.
- Beekeeper Jack O'Leary
“It was really interesting and educational for the kids to hear about the bees and not to be afraid of them and what to do when they see them,” she said.
The O’Leary family has been called out to three previous swarms in William Street, one on Browning Street, one at the train station and three in people’s backyards during the last two weeks.
Mrs O’Leary said it was quite normal to have bee swarms at this time of year.
“It’s been a warm season. Last year we didn’t have any [swarms] because it was really dry, but this year we’ve had a few swarms because of the good weather, lots of rain and good [vegetation] growth,” she said.
Mrs O'Leary said the reason why the swarms have been spotted around the CBD is because of the queen.
“They need to rest the queen. While she’s on there [the resting spot], the scouts go out looking for the next place to go,” she said.
Mrs O’Leary said her other son, Gus, 14, is regularly among the family’s crew of beekeepers who go out to catch swarms.
Jack said the bees caught on Thursday in George Street were the same variety as they other eight swarms they have been called to.
“They’re standard Italian honey bees which work twice as hard as the standard native bees, they’re perfect for honey production,” he said.
Unlike native honey bees, which only produce enough honey for their own use, Italian honey bees are used for commercial production.