We were advised to watch for ‘fanning’ behaviour — abdomen raised, wings moving fast — used for temperature regulation and circulating pheromones. We were delighted to spot regular fanning at the hive entrance and lots of buzzing activity in & out! 🐝 (6/7)

Swarms usually move on to find a permanent home — like a tree cavity — but with suitable habitats for 🐝 and other pollinators increasingly scarce, we reached out to @bbka.org.uk to find a local swarm collector: www.bbka.org.uk/find-a-local...
(Tip from colleagues @aru-biology.bsky.social 👏) (4/7)

After the initial panic (who’s really prepared for thousands of 🐝 suddenly buzzing in your garden — and are they moving in? 👀), we figured those are swarming 🐝, a natural part of how hives reproduce (2/7)

An amazing #nature moment in @fhillemann.bsky.social’s and my garden this week — a swarm of honeybees arrived and clustered in one of our trees! 🐝 🧵 (1/7)