Oh I could never harm these bees. Now if they were mosquitos, that'd be a different story-lol

Hubby who used to be a beekeeper said to tell you he's really glad to see that you are happy to have them - bees are great pollinators. From the photo he says it looks like a swarm - bees (wild or honey) swarm/split when their hive can no longer support them. But he wanted me to give you a word of warning: try to give them some distance because if these bees have decided to set up housekeeping on that branch they can get very protective of it and will chase people away and/or sting them which can be dangerous if a person is allergic to bee sting. Wild bees more so than honey ones. He also said that if they become a problem you should contact a local beekeeper who will have the equipment necessary to come and take the swarm and resettle it somewhere safe.

We unfortunately have africanized bees in Florida. That you weren't attacked while pruning is promising, but you should have a licensed exterminator check them out. The fact that they seem to be setting up a hive on a branch makes it more likely that you do not want them there. Africanized bees, commonly called killer bees, can take over a commercial hive, but beekeepers check their hives often and will destroy compromised hives. Wild populations could be anything. Depending on where you live, you may be able to set up a small hive, and if your swarm is the common honeybee, you can give the bees a good home. Beekeeping is fascinating. I used to do it, but no longer have the time or location for it.

Thanks for the great advise. I will have them checked out to 'bee' sure. They split from the original hive about 2 weeks ago which is in a hole in my neighbor's dying boschofia tree about 30' away. I'm not happy with their new location so I'll attend a BK meeting in my area to learn more. But I definitely want them to stay in the yard if they are the 'good' bees.

Hi Trini! I just wanted to mention that since last spring we've had a honeybee hive take up home in one of our screech owl houses! It has been fascinating watching them daily. The hive has really grown and now they seem overcrowded in this house. We wonder if they'll swarm soon. They have never threatened us in any way. As a matter of fact, despite working closely with many bees in our garden, we've never been stung by a bee of any sort in all our years of gardening. Wasps, yes, and often, but never any bees. We hope they'll continue to make our garden their home, and if they do divide their colony, that's it's somewhere where we can watch them. I don't know a lot about Africanized bees, but they have never been a problem for me in any of my Florida gardens over the years. Sometimes I think it's a little more hyped up than it should be, but again, I don't know a lot about them.

Well.....I went out again only to see them swarming off AGAIN! I feel so used and abused. Haha. Don't know where they went this time. Maybe my tree is just a pit stop for them on their way to brighter pastures. Oh well......

Trini, here is a recent photo of my honeybee hive.

Amazing Anna. I think I'll but one of those houses in the tree in hopes of luring them back. There's still tons in my neighbors tree. Thanks for sharing.