It's honeybee swarm season in Onslow County

With the warm temperatures comes honeybee season, and Onslow County beekeepers have already been hard at work, from taking care of their own hives to relocating swarms all over the area.

Bee colonies that survive the winter begin building up for spring as early as the winter solstice, around Christmastime, said Jeff Crane, local beekeeper and active-duty Marine.

As the days get longer, queen bees begin increasing the number of eggs they lay, and typically, by mid-March, the colonies will start to swarm.

“Colonies typically swarm this time of year because they’re running out of room,” Crane said.

Bee colonies run out of room because they are constantly building and expanding, according to Paul Boniface Sr., another local beekeeper and Marine Corps veteran.

But local residents shouldn’t be concerned if they come across a swarm, though Boniface said it often freaks people out.

“You get this mass of bees that sounds like a train in the air, and then they land on a bush or a tree somewhere,” he said.

But honeybees are actually normally very docile when they’re swarming.

Crane explained that honeybees have two stomachs, a regular one and a honey stomach. When they leave their hives after the winter, they load up on nectar and honey to keep them going until they find a new home.

So, they’re full and tired.

“If people find a swarm, best thing you can do is just leave it alone,” Crane said. “There’s really no need to do anything and definitely don’t reach for the can of Raid. Swarms are typically very docile, they’re very gentle, they’re looking for a home.”

Those who do come across a swarm, and it’s very possible, as both Crane and Boniface have responded to several already in the first week or two of the season, the Onslow County Beekeepers Association has a list of local beekeepers who are willing to handle swarm relocations.

Most don’t charge anything, either, for the job. Neither Crane nor Boniface do.

“It’s like a win win,” Crane said. “The property owner gets the bees removed that they didn’t want, and then the beekeeper benefits from gaining another colony.”

Boniface encourages residents, if they reach out to him, to send him a picture of the swarm, just to make sure they’re honeybees.

“A lot of times they contact us about carpenter bees, yellow jackets, hornets,” he said. “If it’s an actual swarm, then I pack up my tools, put them in my truck, and off I head to get them out of their hair.”

Local residents can expect to come across a swarm through mid-summer, about June or July. Although late-season swarms can happen, Crane said they’re not common.

For those interested in learning more about beekeeping or becoming a beekeeper, the Onslow County Beekeepers Association offers a lot of resources.

The association meets the first Tuesday of every month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Onslow County Farm Bureau Office, at 3965 Richlands Hwy in Jacksonville.

Meetings include educational components for beginner and experienced beekeepers, a question-and-answer session and association business and announcements.

Crane said they also conduct an annual informational course, usually in December, as well as a longer beginner’s course in February.

The Onslow County Beekeepers Association is also working to renovate its apiary, near the Onslow County Farmer’s Market on Richlands Highway, which was destroyed by a bear last fall.

Crane has received a grant to start a Host A Hive program, which is in the works.

“For people wanting to get involved in bees, the first thing I would say is, research the cost,” Boniface said. “A lot of people don’t realize what the cost is. It does take a commitment.”

But the association is very welcoming to new members, he said, and new beekeepers will also receive a mentor.

For those looking simply to make their homes more inviting for honeybees, Boniface recommends researching the best flowers for them, and then planting some of those.

He said tulip poplars are the best.

For more information about the Onslow County Beekeepers Association, visit onslowcountybeekeepers.com.

Crane operates Cole’s Farm and Boniface operates Warden’s Farm, both in Jacksonville. Both offer their honey for sale.

Crane is a certified journeyman beekeeper working to become a master beekeeper, and Boniface is a certified beekeeper working to become a journeyman.

Both are members of the Onslow County Beekeepers Association and are available to help with swarm removal and relocation.

Crane is the association vice president and is also the county’s beekeeping authority and honey commodity representative for the North Carolina Farm Bureau State Beekeeper, Honey, and Pollination Advisory Committee.

Boniface was the 2023 Onslow County Beekeeper of the Year and won first place for his honey in 2021.

The association will be present at both the Holly Ridge Bee Festival and Sturgeon City’s Earth Day Celebration on April 26.