Swarms

If you are not a beekeeper and have arrived at this page looking for help with a swarm then I’m very unlikely to be able to help. Firstly, I’m almost certainly busy and secondly I’m definitely miles away from your swarm.

Contact your local beekeeping association – either directly (for example search for “County name BKA swarm” in a search engine) or via one of the national associations (British, Scottish or Welsh beekeepers or beekeeping association); they will have someone local who can confirm whether they are honey bees and can then arrange to have them collected.

The Scottish Beekeepers Association has a simple guide to swarms and how to deal with them. If the swarm is easy to reach safely, a local beekeeper will be delighted to collect it.

Have confidence. Bees in swarms are generally very placid – they gorge themselves with honey before leaving the original hive.

You probably wouldn’t choose to pick a fight with a full belly.

Enjoy the spectacle.

A swarm is a wonderful sight.

Enjoy it!

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