Jessie Baker and partner Luke Whitfield from Bees Up Top collects wild swarms for free before re-homing them.

Bee swarms are on the increase in Auckland, with reports some householders are throwing petrol on the swarms and setting them alight to get rid of them.

One horrified bee expert said people who encounter swarms should simply call a beekeeper, who will collect them for free.

Hobbyist beekeeper Jae Park recently discovered a "really upsetting" sight after being called to the corner of Sandringham Rd and New North Rd following reports of bees swarming.

SUPPLIED The charred remains of a bee swarm, found by hobby beekeeper Jae Park in Kingsland.

Thousands of dead and dying bees covered the ground, the majority being blackened and charred. ​

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"There was the distinct smell of petrol, like someone had poured gas on them and lit them on fire," Park said.

ADAM JACOBSON/STUFF Park, a bee hobbyist, said the burned bees were upsetting to see.

This was not the first bee swarm being set alight Park had encountered, finding a similar scene in a bush in Rosedale in October.

"I originally didn't think much of it, but when it happened again I got really upset," he said.

Bees being torched is an unfortunate reality of swarm season and misinformation around bees, said Jessie Baker, a professional bee wrangler.



SWARM SEASON

MATTHEW CATTIN/Stuff.co.nz A swarm of bees has landed in a conifer tree at a Surf Rd address in Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa.

She said swarming is a natural reproduction process for bees, "like a city expanding".



"It happens when another queen is about to be born. Sixty per cent of the hive leaves with the old queen because there is only enough room for one queen.



"Bees are very docile when swarming because they don't have any babies to protect and are very unlikely to sting you," Baker added.



Swarms have been spotted in high numbers across Auckland recently, with locals taking to community pages on Facebook for advice.



Baker said so far the bees have highly active, with swarm season going "mad crazy".



"There are a lot more [swarms], I'm getting calls every single day."



She said when a swarm leaves the nest, the workers and drones will settle where ever the queen lands, with examples being in people's letter boxes, gutters or gardens.



Baker encouraged people to leave them alone and call a professional who can re-home them, rather than try burn the entire hive.



"It breaks my heart! Maybe they think the only other option is a costly exterminator."

She said some people also mistake them for wasps and take rash action.

BEE WRANGLING

SUPPLIED Baker said bees love urban environments and are largely protected on roof tops

Baker and partner Luke Whitfield - owners and founders of Bees Up Top - wrangles rogue swarms every week.

They then take them out to their bee sanctuary in Bethells, before re-homing them on the rooftops of Auckland city.

"I'm so passionate about it, I get so excited when I get a call about rescuing swarms."

SUPPLIED Jessie Baker and Luke Whitfield started Bees Up Top in early 2017

So far, they have placed ten hives on roofs of building across the Auckland city scape.

"Hotels are really loving it", Baker explained, "because they have to get an enviro-tick and if they put bees on their roof-top they get that tick".

The business owner is then rewarded with personalised pots of their very own honey.

SUPPLIED Bees Up Top take in incredible views of the Auckland when rehoming their bees on the city's rooftops

Bees Up Top charge the hotel a modest yearly fee of $1000 or $1200.

"With that they get one to two beehives, but they also get their hives maintained for them, so we go in twice a month and check that the bees are healthy and warm and well fed."

"And we also give them up to thirty kilograms of the honey in personalised little jars."



"They like to give it to their VIP guests or sell it on or give it to staff or use it in facials or cocktails or anything.



She said bees love urban spaces because there are lots of flowers around in parks and gardens. Being on a rooftop also prevents them from being vandalised.



In the cities, bees are also further away from pesticides, one of the biggest bee killers.



"If a bee visits a poisonous crop and takes it back to it's hive it can wipe out the whole entire hive in one day.



"Bees are so important bees for the environment and human existence, without bees we would be living on grains and rice."



She also takes bee classes in school holiday program and is putting hives in schools to educate children on the importance of keeping bees around.

123RF Honey bees are responsible for billions of dollars' worth of New Zealand's economy

ApiCulture NZ Chief Executive Karin Kos said bees are on the increase in New Zealand, with 400,000 hives in New Zealand five years ago compared to the 800,000 hives now.

She said there has also been a marked increase in bee hobbyists and registered keeper across the country in the same time.

"There are over 8000 registered beekeepers in New Zealand, an 18% increase from this time last year.

Flowers you can plant to feed the bees and other beneficial insects.

"Out of this total, there are over 5800 hobbyist beekeepers, or beekeepers with 10 hives or less, up 16% from last year."

She said beekeepers were required by law to burn hives infected with American Foulbrood disease, to stop it's spread to neighbouring hives.

BEE FACTS

Honey bees collect nectar from flowers and turn it into honey

There are three types of honey bees: a queen bee, female worker bees, and male drones

Bees brains are the size of pin heads

Only the female honey bee stings

​Bees will travel up to 5km from their hive to collect honey

One in three mouthfuls of the food we eat are the result of animal pollination

Native bees don't make honey but are still great pollinators

​$5 billion of New Zealand's economy is attributable to pollination by honey bees, and honey products

Honey bees all around the world are in decline because of Varroa mite and pesticide misuse

Bees are now dependent on humans to protect them

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

Bees Up Top 021 203 3612

Dave Grant 0275 479 276 (0275 4swarm)

Prior Gardening 022 651 2846

Auckland Beekeepers Club swarm coordinator 0210 8898 210