A Swarm of Bees Is a Colony Dividing
A swarm is a large moving group of insects. In honeybees it is reproduction at the level of the whole colony.
A swarm is a large group of insects moving together, or any dense moving crowd. In honeybees a swarm is not an attack but a birth: when a colony outgrows its hive, the old queen leaves with about half the workers to found a new one, while a new queen is raised behind. Swarming bees have gorged on honey and are famously docile, since they have no home to defend. *Swarm intelligence* names the study of how simple individuals produce complex group behaviour.
- A mass of insects. *A swarm of bees.*
- A dense crowd. *A swarm of reporters.*
- To move in a mass. *They swarmed in.*
- Swarm intelligence — collective behaviour. *Swarm intelligence.*
- Old English — *swearm*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | swarm | A swarm. |
| Plural | swarms | Swarms. |
| Verb | swarm | Swarm in. |
| Past | swarmed | Swarmed. |
| Old English | swearm | A swarm. |
- A swarm settled in the apple tree.Bees.
- Reporters swarmed the entrance.Crowd.
- Swarming bees are usually docile.Fact.
How a honeybee swarm works
- The colony outgrows its space and raises new queen cells
- The old queen leaves with about half the workers
- They cluster nearby while scouts search for a new home
- Scouts dance to advocate sites until agreement is reached
- The swarm then flies to the chosen cavity together
Old English *swearm*, of Germanic origin, possibly from a root meaning to hum or buzz.
Are swarming bees dangerous?
Usually not. They have gorged on honey before leaving and have no nest or brood to defend, which makes them unusually docile.
Why do bees swarm?
It is how a colony reproduces. When the hive is too crowded, the old queen leaves with half the workers to found a new colony.