There are many collective nouns for a group of bees:
- a bike of bees
- a charm of bees
- a cluster of bees
- an erst of bees
- a game of bees
- a grist of bees
- a hive of bees
- a hum of bees
- a nest of bees
- a rabble of bees
- a swarm of bees
Source: https://socratic.org/questions/what-is-a-collective-noun-for-bees
Which one do readers like/prefer? I love the “charm of bees” – for that is what they are!
However, my favourite collective noun remains a “congregation of drones” – as in a Drone Congregation Area.
I found this analysis of Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs) from a study done on Puerto Rico:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3635128/
The conclusions are confusing and inconclusive and the way that the drones find the same sites year-after-year is still an area of study that is fascinating for me.
I’m charmed by a charm of bees, but perhaps my favorite is a hum of bees. Their sound never fails to thrill my heart.
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Yes
Surely the term(s) to use depends upon details of the collection rather than just preference? Just as geese on land are a gaggle but in flight are a wedge or skein.
A hive of bees is a collection in a hive. A nest of bees is a collection in some other cavity. A cluster of bees is a collection that has collected itself into a mass. A swarm of bees these days refers to a collection of bees leaving their home for a new one. It may refer to the cluster in its bivouac location or to the cloud of bees in flight.
A hum of bees sounds appropriate for a large group working a meadow or flowering tree. They would not necessarily be from the same colony.
No idea what to do with a bike of bees or a grist of bees. Research needed.
And, yes, we admit to being pedants.
There is certainly a lot to know about this
topic. I love all of the points you’ve made.
I loved this post! i actuallly read your blog fairly often,
and you’re consistently coming out with pretty great stuff.
I contributed this on my fb, and my followers adored it.
Continue the good work 🙂
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