It happens every year during the spring.

People are shocked and frightened when huge clouds of honey bees swarm overhead and through whatever happens to be in their way. It is an awesome experience.

First, one hears the buzz of tens of thousands of bees and then they either pass overhead or seem to surround you in what looks like an aggressive mass.

Quite the contrary.

During swarming season, bees are far less likely to sting. Here's what's going on...

Like most communities, bee hives can grow and become over-crowded. When this happens, the hive raises a new queen and splits it's population roughly in half. The new queen leaves the hive and thousands of her devoted followers trail behind.

When she flies, they fly and when she stops to rest so do the workers. That is why we sometimes see thousands of bees in a squirming mass on the sides of buildings, trees and cars.

The swarm stopped because the queen stopped. When she decides to move on, so will the swarm. It can be as much as 24 hours before they leave.

If the swarm stays longer, it is likely to set up housekeeping -- which is great if it's an appropriate spot -- but if it's your attic or in a piece of farm equipment, then it's time to call a bee keeper or exterminator to remove the hive.

I mentioned that bees are far less likely to sting while swarming. This is because the bees fill themselves on honey before leaving the original hive. Simply put, they are fat and happy.

If you see a swarm during spring, relax and enjoy the experience, Mother Nature is hard at work.