Bee swarm provides spectacle of nature at Police Point
What better could you ask for to celebrate national Environment Week in Police Point Park than a rare sight of nature, says chief park interpreter Corlaine Gardner. She points up at swarm of bees in a cottonwood tree near one of the park’s trails. Gardner says people are often scared when they see such swarms but the bees are extremely unlikely to attack.
“Bee swarms are generally docile because they are carrying so much honey,” explains Gardner. “They are looking for a new home and they aren’t interested in protecting a space ... When the colony gets too big for the space they are living in, they will split. The old queen will go with half the workers and leave some pupating potential queens to take over the old hive. The half that leaves will load up on honey and go out and hang out on a branch, like we just saw. They will send some scouts out to find a place to establish a new hive.”
Gardner says Police Point Park is a perfect fit for this colony’s needs.
“Places like Police Point, with its hollow trees, provide lots of good homes for them. They, as well as other species of bees, are really important for pollination.”
Gardner cries out excitedly as the massive swarm begins to break up and move. As the swarm breaks apart, clumps of bees fall toward the ground before dispersing in a noisy cloud.
Gardner reminds readers swarms like these are part of the natural environment and should be left alone. If the swarm is happening in an inappropriate place, she suggests calling a local beekeeper.
“We should be trying to protect these bees,” she says. “There are lots of beekeepers around who have the honey bees in their hives, but we also have wild honey bees. If the swarm is some place where it’s not suitable for them, call a beekeeper, but other than that keep your distance and enjoy another spectacle of nature.”
More spectacles of nature will be highlighted at Police Point Park as Environment Week continues. Friday night the park will be hosting a full moon walk, and on Saturday afternoon it will be hosting a nature appreciation hike to look at “less obvious critters.” Check the Medicine Hat Interpretive Program website for more details.