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

Just a small swarm of honey bees.
- 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.
- Leave them to settle down and keep a sensible distance.
- 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.
- Enjoy watching the beekeeper at work putting the swarm in a container to take away.
- 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.
- 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 – 2008
Ian Beaty is the Primary Contact
(in his absence contact one of the others in the appropriate district)
|
Name |
Tel |
|
District |
|
|
2008 |
|
|
|
|
|
Ian Beaty |
01234 750635 |
07908540021 |
Kemp |
Any time |
|
Audrey Buxton |
01525 712466 |
|
Flitwick |
Any time |
|
|
01234 768294 |
|
Kemp |
Any time |
|
Michael Bunyan |
01234 768648 |
|
Kemp |
Any time |
|
Peter Bracey |
01438 350082 |
|
Sheff |
Any time |
|
Mark Wilsher |
01767 651649 |
|
|
|
|
|
01234 768294 |
07884358619 |
Kemp |
|
|
Gill Brewer |
01525 718550 |
07981 573811 |
Flit |
Any time |
|
Paul Walton |
01525 630943 |
07941 732679 |
|
Any time |
|
Angel Huelamo |
01525 221106 |
07963450979 |
|
Dunstable |
|
Bill Haigh |
01767 654967 |
07860 235210 |
|
Any time |
|
Geoff Thorp |
01525 861765 |
07870452505 |
Ampt |
|
|
Miriam Richardson |
01234 824555 |
07949 857542 |
NW Beds |
W’kend only |
|
Paul Williams |
|
|
|
|
|
Jenny Forester |
|
|
|
W’kend only |
|
Simon Hardy |
|
|
|
|
|
Ed Thomas |
01582 866504 |
07759 129682 |
S Beds |
Any time |
|
Barry Ashmore |
|
|
|
|
|
Rob Gibson |
01933 418778 |
07713146380. |
|
Even & W’end |
|
Andy Marsh |
01234 376673 |
07870 817904 |
NE Beds |
Any time |
|
Kay Quinn |
01767 641010 |
01767 640779 |
|
Any time |
|
Leo D’Angelo |
|
|
NW Beds |
|
|
Jacqueline Kennedy |
|
07976 242570 |
|
Any time |
|
Cliff Herring |
01525 372952 |
07802466023 |
LB |
Any time |
|
James Baker |
01234-381491 |
07761434657 |
Haynes |
Any time |
|
Wally Thrale |
01767 225846 |
|
|
Most times |
|
Andrew Ulyett |
01525 750643 |
07788423700 |
LB |
Some times |
|
Paul Stanbury |
01525 872587 |
|
Toddington |
Any time |
|
|
01767627357 |
|
Bigg |
Any time |
|
Dave Chawner |
01908 340690 |
07791 067685 |
|
PM & W’ends |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ian Beaty
12 May 2008
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.