Swarm of 100k bees loose

Photo: Flickr/Alan C Solomon

A swarm of over 100,000 bees are on the loose and their owner really wants them back. 

Preston Hayden was tending to the beehive on his property in West Kelowna near Webber Road and Gorman Road, on Sunday night when they flew away.

“I am supposed to keep a close eye on it so I can split the hive and I didn’t pay enough attention and they swarmed on me,” said Hayden.

Over 200,000 bees were in his hive and he says he’s been working all year to do the split.

“Then they just took off on me,” he said. “I have a lot of lemons, limes, pomegranates and oranges so I get the bees to pollinate the plants.”

Hayden, who works as a horticulturist, says they fly in a tight cluster and is pleading with people to keep their eye out for them.

But good news for anyone who does see them, they likely won’t sting you.

“When they swarm they plan for a long flight so they will gorge on honey for three to four days straight and they are so full of honey they can’t sting you,” he said. “They are very docile, they aren’t like killer bees out attacking anybody.”

Once he finds the bees, he says he has a few techniques to capture them. 

A few sightings have been reported to him, but he has not had any luck. If you spot the busy bees you are being asked to call Hayden at 250-808-3936.