So you have a swarm of bees! 
What should you do?

Just a small swarm of honey bees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you find a swarm arriving in your garden:-
 

  1. DON'T PANIC !   Swarming bees may sound and look frightening but they are at their most harmless because they have very little to defend and are away from their hive.  Often they are only with you for a few hours whilst they find a new home and fly off.
  2. Leave them to settle down and keep a sensible distance.
  3. Call for a beekeeper - see the list below. Tell the beekeeper as much as you can. You will be asked questions that help the beekeeper to decide what it's best to do and whether you have honey bees or some other insect such as bumble bees or wasps.
  4. Enjoy watching the beekeeper at work putting the swarm in a container to take away.
  5. Make a donation to the Beekeepers Association.  A beekeeper is not paid and is doing you a favour since the bees may be a nuisance to him or her, due to the expense, time and trouble of fetching and checking them, and also treating for diseases before they can safely be put with other bees.  A commercial firm may charge you as much as £40 to remove a swarm, if they will do it at all.
  6. Don't expect beekeepers to do anything about swarms in inaccessible places. Our insurance does not cover us for taking risks and we can not undertake any structural work to get at bees, for the same reason.   

Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association
Swarm Receivers/Collectors - 2009
Check column 4 for your district
(in alphabetical order)

Name

Tel

Mobile

District

Availability

 

 

 

 

 

Gill Brewer  01525 718550   07981 573811  Flitwick Any time
Phil Archer  01525 718102  Receiver only
Suzanne & Elaine Fathers  01525 40462  Receiver only

Geoff Thorp

 01525 861765 

 07870 452505 

Ampthill

Any time
Andrew Mcllhatton  01525 712621  Receiver only
Andy King 01525718648  07774 952600  Fitwick/ Ampthill Receiver only
Mike Niemann  01525 717040   07841 533613  Luton area most times
Jenny Forester  01234 823389  Bedford Receiver only
Robert Jellis  01234 766145   07776 342226  Evenings, w/e only
Mrs E.C.Donkin  01234 741823  N.Bedford area
Eugene Thomas  01234 755623   07960 242041  Bromham, Cranfield area Any time

Barry Ashmore

 01767 627223  Biggleswade Any time

James Baker

 01234 381491 

 07761 434657 

Haynes

Any time

John Dawson

 01767 627357 

Biggleswade

Any time

Pat Gavin  01234 740515   07774 520507  Biggleswade Any time
Keith MacBrayne  01767 627320 
Roy Thrower  01767 627698   07973 950548 

Biggleswade, Sandy area

most times collect only
Alastair Walters  07768 258821  Bigglswade Any time

Debra Clayton

 01462 630993  Biggleswade Receiver only

Angel Huelamo

 01525 221106 

 07963 450979 

Dunstable Any time

Steve Kennedy

 07976 242570 

Dunstable

Any time

Ed Thomas  01582 866504   07759 129682  Luton, Dunst. Houghton R. Any time
Michael Bunyan  01234 768648   07982 587902  Kempston Any time

Dave Chawner

 01908 340690 

 07970 034726 

Kempston

Any time

Simon Cockle  01908 584456    07710 799898 

Aspley G.
W.Sands, M.K. etc.

Most times
Sue & Danny Lang  01234 764180   07879 848550  Kempston Most times

Carl Durnford

 01908 281458 

 07788 561554  

W.Sands,M.K. 

Any time
Hugh Taylor  01908 583172  Aspley G. area
Andrew Beer  01525 240235  0796 8277247 L Buzzard, M.K., N.Bucks Any time

Simon Hardy

01525 636038 L Buzzard

Cliff Herring

 01525 372952 

07802466023

L Buzzard

Any time

Andrew Ulyett

 01525 750643 

07788423700

L Buzzard

Any times

Paul Stanbury  01525 872587  Toddington Any time
Paul Walton  01525 630943  07941732679 Within 10 miles of Toddington Any time
David Hanham  01582 410508  Luton Any time
Colin Hall  01582 720539  Luton Evenings,
daytimes but not Tue- Wed-Thurs.

Andy Marsh

 01234 376673 

 07870 817904 

NE Beds

Any time

Chris Lewis  01234 823618   07785 506378  North Beds area Any time

Leo D'Angelo

 01234 720415 

NW Beds

Any time

Rob Gibson

 01933 418778 

07713146380.

NW Beds

Evenings
& W/end

Sheila Guymer  01234 720448  N.W.Beds Any time

Bill Haigh

 01767 654967 

 07860 235210 

Sandy, Gamlingay

Any time

Wally Thrale

 01767 225846 

 

Sandy

Most times

Mark Wilsher

 01767 651649 

 07711 569822  Sandy area
Peter Bracey  01438 350082  Shefford area Any time


List updated Feb 2009

 

If bees set up permanent home in your property (they choose cavities such as disused chimneys, compost bins, bird boxes, and hollow trees) you have a bigger problem. However, with the disease problems nowadays bees require active help from a beekeeper to survive. Wild colonies get no help and die out after a while.

In a movable container they can usually be shifted completely, but if you think they are setting up home in your chimney the best course is to quickly make a smoky fire that puts them off and drives them to move out. Don't leave it too long or make a big fire or you may end up with melted honeycomb dripping down into the hearth and soaking into the brickwork!

 

Beware of a swarm that has been caught out for days in bad weather. They can't fly to a new home, they run out of food and can't go finding more.  As a result they may become very defensive and may attack people who interfere with them.