Honey Bees

European honeybees were introduced to Australia in the 1800s for honey production and quickly became naturalized within the Australian environment. Honeybees play a crucial role in agriculture by producing honey, beeswax, and pollinating a wide variety of food crops.

Swarms:

• Swarming is a natural behaviour exhibited by honeybees, typically occurring during spring but possible at any time of the year under favourable conditions.
• A swarm occurs when the queen bee and thousands of worker bees leave the hive in search of a new home.
• During this process, many bees will be flying around as the swarm forms. It’s advisable to keep children and pets indoors until the bees’ cluster on a bush or other object.
• Once the swarm has settled and the bees have stopped flying, it’s safe to be outside at a reasonable distance. Be cautious of bees on the ground.
• Avoid hosing the swarm, throwing stones at it, or smoking the bees, as these actions can provoke them and increase the risk of stinging. Swarms typically relocate to their chosen home within 1-3 days.

Calling a Beekeeper:

• If you encounter a swarm, consider calling a beekeeper from organisations like Amateur Beekeepers Australia Swarms — Amateur Beekeepers Australia. Beekeepers are often eager to collect swarms and can create new hives from them.
• Keep in mind that beekeepers are usually hobbyists, so they may not respond immediately to your request.

Backyard Beehives:

• In New South Wales (NSW), it’s legal to keep a small number (typically 1-3) of European honeybee hives in an urban backyard.
• Regardless of their location, all European honeybee hives must be registered with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) Backyard beekeeping (nsw.gov.au). The DPI handles complaints related to backyard honey beehives, not local councils.

Wild Beehives:

• European honeybees have become naturalized in Australia. This means that bees originally from managed hives have left and established “wild beehives” in various environments
• Wild beehives can be found in tree hollows, wall cavities, caves, or other suitable locations.
• The NSW DPI does not respond to complaints about wild honeybee hives due to their widespread presence. Councils will only address complaints if a wild hive is located on public land near sensitive areas (e.g., schools, playgrounds) or if residents adjacent to the hive have anaphylactic allergies.

More information 

Backyard beekeeping (nsw.gov.au)

Investigation of nuisance bee complaints Policy Investigation of nuisance bee complaints (nsw.gov.au)

Swarms — Amateur Beekeepers Australia

Bee swarms and control (nsw.gov.au)