When is bee swarm season in Phoenix?
In a normal year, swarm season runs from mid-March to late October, with most swarms in May and June. ABC15 reported that peak-season removal calls can climb from 5 to 10 a day to 30 to 60. Africanized honey bees are widespread in Arizona, so a swarm in your yard is a real possibility.
The window is long. March is when the first swarms appear, May and June are the busy months, and bees can still turn up into late October.
Because the busy months are also the hot ones, expect the technician's schedule to be tight. The phone is answered 24/7, and visits are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, but no arrival time is promised.
What should I do when I see a swarm?
Move away, bring children and pets indoors and close doors and windows. Keep everyone back from the cluster or the entrance. Do not throw anything at it, spray it with water or insecticide, or try to knock it down. Call for a technician and describe where the bees are.
A swarm resting on a branch can look harmless, and that is the danger. People walk toward it for a better look or a photo. Resist that, and make sure a neighbor or a delivery driver does not walk into it.
If you know someone is allergic to stings, tell the dispatcher when you call. Anyone stung many times, or showing trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or dizziness, needs emergency medical care. Call 911 for that, not a pest company.
- Keep people and pets away and indoors
- Do not spray water, foam or insecticide at the bees
- Do not try to knock a cluster down or throw anything at it
- Do not block or seal the entrance of a colony you have found
- Note the location and describe it clearly on the phone
Why should I never seal a colony into a wall?
Sealing a colony into a wall void leaves the bees trapped inside the structure and the problem in your wall. Removal comes first, and the opening is closed only after a technician has dealt with the colony. Never block an entrance you have found, and never try to fill it yourself.
It is tempting to close an obvious hole as soon as you see bees going in. That is the wrong order. The sealing comes at the end of the job, not the beginning.
If bees are already inside a structure, the technician explains what needs to be opened to reach them and what repair is involved, so you know the cost and effort before it starts.
Is it a honey bee, a wasp or a hornet?
You cannot reliably tell a honey bee from a wasp or hornet at a distance, and you should not go closer to check. Describe what you see, where it is and how the insects are behaving to the person answering the phone, and they will help work out which service you need.
The distinction matters because the service differs. A stinging-insect nest under an eave and a honey bee colony inside a wall call for different equipment and a different approach, and the quote differs with them.
The guide to bee swarms in Phoenix goes through season and what to do in more detail.
What do I do after the bees are gone?
Ask the technician what was removed, what remains and whether the opening needs repair. An unsealed opening can draw another swarm to the same spot, so closing it is part of the follow-up. The technician explains what that involves and what it costs before any work begins.
Check the area after the visit. If you see bees returning to the same spot, call again rather than trying to deal with them yourself.
Plan ahead for next year. A walk around the house in February to check eaves, meter boxes and wall gaps takes little time, and it is easier before swarm season begins in March.
