A few days ago we spied a dark mass in one of our biggest trees and checked it out. The tree had a large ball of honey bees hanging on it way up high. We thought perhaps it might be a swarm. When honey bees out grow their shelter, they make a new queen then she and a number of the bees from the overcrowded box 'swarm' away to find a new home. If you are an astute beekeeper, you can watch for things like this. If they don't go too far, you can collect them and give them a new home, thereby, increasing your hives naturally. We kept honey bees for a while and used to do this. The hobby is fun and the harvest of fresh honey is wonderful, but alas, after having been stung once too often I go into shock and can't breath if a honey bee stings me now. I can't use any product from the honey bee - not even the honey - or I have an allergic reaction. So sad, because I really enjoyed the hobby. I still think honey bees are beautiful!
So wouldn't you know it? The swarm decided to stay and they have built a beautiful comb in the tree! This happened to us once before and we were able to don our bee suits and put them into a proper hive. Then we harvested the wild honey. Yum! This one is too high in the tree to get to and I can't go near them anyway, so we'll see how long they stay! I guess we won't be trimming this tree for awhile!