All you need to know about honeybees and why not to kill them

HENDERSONVILLE - With the warm temperatures of spring, insects are making their return to Henderson County, among them are plenty of bees.

While it's in our nature to swat at bees and try to get rid of them, beekeepers in the Henderson County Beekeepers Association say it's best to leave them be. Michelle Tennant, president of the HCBA, said bees are pollinators that play a vital role in the environment, with the honeybee being one of the most efficient pollinators.

"When honeybees are brought in to pollinate crops, their vast numbers in colonies enhance the production of most food crops that depend on pollination. Honeybees will tirelessly work on all blossoms that are present," she said. "Here's a fun fact: Honeybees that collect pollen are female and beekeepers lovingly call them 'the girls.' Drones, which are the male honeybees, solely serve to inseminate the queen. In the course of her lifetime, a worker bee will produce 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey."

To produce one pound of honey, she said workers in a hive fly 55,000 miles and tap two million flowers.

"In a single collecting trip, a worker bee will visit between 50-100 flowers. Some believe honeybees are responsible for approximately one-third of all produce, including grains for meat and other livestock, products that utilize fermentation and the yield of home gardens, especially those near local beekeepers," Antoine Ignizio, HCBA Apiary Manager, said

Honeybees also play a vital role in the reproduction of many plant species, including numerous crops that humans rely on for food, Ignizio said.

"Their efficient pollination services contribute to the abundance and diversity of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Additionally, honeybees are integral to ecosystem health and biodiversity," he said.

When it comes to swarms, Tennant said people often confuse honeybee swarms with other swarms like wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets.

"Unlike wasps and hornets, honeybees are non-aggressive while swarming, because they fill themselves with honey before flying to seek a new home. In contrast, yellow jackets, which are technically wasps, hunt other insects and will forage in garbage and on decomposing fruit for food," she said.

According to Tennant, attempting to kill honeybees can disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems and threaten food security.

"Indiscriminate killing of honeybees contributes to the decline of their populations, exacerbating pollinator loss and the associated environmental challenges. Therefore, it is essential to appreciate the importance of honeybees and adopt practices that promote their conservation and coexistence," she said.

When a swarm is present, the bees are making a new colony, but it can be an unwelcome sight for homeowners. Tennant said the HCBA is available to help.

"HCBA maintains a swarm list of eligible beekeepers who can remove a colony that has landed at your home and are happy to give them a new residence. Last week, HCBA member Zachary Gellman relocated a WNC-apartment-building-based swarm," she said..

Gellman said it was a relatively new swarm with brand-new honeycomb, and it was a decent cluster size.

"It was a swarm that had moved in likely two or three weeks prior. There were about four slivers of comb, however, it was so new that it crumbled when I took it out. It was a decent-sized cluster, but you could tell they had not been there too long," he said.

Once a beekeeper like Gellman relocates the swarm to a safe place, the bees are given resources like pollen, brood and sugar water to thrive in their new home, and if necessary, a new queen, Tennant said.

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"If you encounter a swarm of honeybees, it's essential to remain calm and take appropriate precautions to ensure both your safety and the well-being of the bees," she said.

More information about honeybees and about how to safely coexist with them are available at the HCBA website at hcbeekeepers.org. There are also a list of beekeepers to help with swarms and a list of local honey sellers.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Henderson County beekeeper organization gives facts on honeybees