Swarms will have the following characteristics:

• No honey comb.
• A tight cluster of bees.
• It can be in the shape of a ball, spread flat onto a surface, or dangling from a tree.
• They have usually only been there for a short period of time.
• These are easy to remove and can usually be picked up quickly. Generally a swarm is not agressive as they do not have brood or honey to protect.  They could be in their location for a short period of time, maybe a few hours, or up to a few days.

An established colony will have some of the following characteristics:

• Bees are utilizing honey comb to store their larvae and resources
• Is more commonly in an enclosed space.  This could be your walls, water meters, phone boxes,attics, hollow trees/limbs, etc. Although “open air hives” exist as well so that cluster you have seen for quite a while in a tree may actually be an established colony.
• Have typically been in place for a longer period of time
• More difficult to remove.
• May be more costly for a professional to remove but it’s more crucial to get a true professional. Bee hives leave behind scents that will attract other bees if you don’t take the necessary steps.