Are the bees on flowers on the tree or inside the tree? Describe the "swarm" are they sitting in a cluster?

it has been said that swarms will "smell" where other swarms have been before and will cluster in the same spots while looking for a new home.

How long do the bees stay every year?

If they are inside the tree. . then the nest probably overwinters there.

anymcg--

The bees showed up one morning around the date I originally posted as a large cluster (about 10-12" around)on the side of the tree. This is one of two areas they seem to live in: knot holes or some other type of insect bored holes about 10-15 feet up. Since then they have also moved to the second location, as well.

I seem to rember that they have stayed all summer, though I was too busy with work in the past fall to pay attention.

Like I mentioned, these old catalpas will be cut down in the next 5 years, if they even last that long. Should I make it a point to look for honey? I wonder if the previous home owners ever "sprayed" them, and if the insectiide would taint the honey or make it unsafe to use.

Anything sprayed before you moved in is probably not going to hurt anyone at this point. They've probably consumed that honey and made new. . .

If you know they are there and going to cut them down, get in touch with some beekeepers, they will be happy to come and remove them.

there will more than likely be honey there, but you will have to remove it in chunks in the comb. If you want it to be extracted you'll have to squeeze it and let it run through some cheese cloth.