Short answer. Two consecutive days. Article 716 of the Civil Code gives the swarm owner the right to pursue bees onto another's land, but if the owner has not pursued the swarm — or stops pursuing it — within two consecutive days, the possessor of the land where the bees landed may occupy or keep them.
What the law says
The owner of a swarm of bees shall have a right to pursue them to another's land, indemnifying the possessor of the latter for the damage. If the owner has not pursued the swarm, or ceases to do so within two consecutive days, the possessor of the land may occupy or retain the same.
Civil Code, Article 716 — Bees And Domesticated Animals. Read the full provision →
The right to pursue — and the two-day limit
Article 716 of the Civil Code grants the bee-owner a right to follow a swarm onto neighboring land: "The owner of a swarm of bees shall have a right to pursue them to another's land, indemnifying the possessor of the latter for the damage. If the owner has not pursued the swarm, or ceases to do so within two consecutive days, the possessor of the land may occupy or retain the same." The right to pursue is active — it requires actually going after the swarm. Two consecutive days of non-pursuit, or an abandonment of the chase, ends the owner's claim.
What pursuit means under the law
The statute conditions the owner's right on pursuit — a continuous, active effort to follow and recover the bees. Simply knowing where the swarm landed and intending to retrieve it later is not pursuit. The consecutive nature of the two-day requirement means the owner must be actively tracking and following the swarm without a gap of more than two days. If recovery proves impossible because the neighbor refuses access, the owner would need to address that obstacle promptly — the two-day clock continues to run regardless of difficulties encountered along the way.
The duty to pay for damage caused
The right to pursue is not unconditional. Article 716 requires the swarm owner to indemnify the possessor of the latter for the damage — meaning the owner must compensate the neighboring landowner for any harm the entry and the pursuit cause to the land or its contents. If the bees damage crops, a garden, or other property in the course of landing, the swarm owner is responsible for that loss. This indemnification obligation is a condition of the right of entry, not an afterthought. A swarm owner who exercises the right of pursuit without addressing the damage may face a separate claim from the landowner.
What happens after the two days pass
If the owner fails to pursue the swarm within two consecutive days, or abandons the pursuit, the possessor of the land where the bees settled may "occupy or retain" them. This means the land possessor acquires the right to keep the bees — the swarm becomes theirs by operation of law. The original owner cannot then simply show up on the third day and demand return of the bees on the basis of prior ownership. The two-day rule is a hard cutoff that transfers the practical ownership of the swarm to the person on whose land they came to rest.