I’ve found a honeybee swarm (or it’s found me!). Help! What do I do now?

This is a common question that beekeepers get in the beesier months of Spring and Summer when honeybees are on the move. I'm going to assume that you, the person reading this, are not a beekeeper. I will also assume that the bees you have found ARE indeed honeybees! Not 100% sure what you've got? Ok so when honeybees have settled and are no longer airborne, they tend to cluster together. They might settle on the ground, on a wall, in a bin, up in a tree, or on any other surface they appreciate and feel drawn to. Here are some photos of settled honeybee swarms:

So now you think you have definitely got a honeybee swarm. Do not panic! You have a couple of options: 1) Leave them bee (and breathe!). If the swarm is up in a tree and is not causing any harm to you, your family, animals, or the public, then doing nothing is absolutely fine. In many cases, this is actually the recommended option. The bees will usually move on when it suits them. 2) Contact a beekeeper. You can call a beekeeper and ask if they are free, willing, and able to come and collect the swarm. The BBKA (The British Beekeepers Association) maintains a database of local swarm collectors, all of whom are volunteer beekeepers. Their interactive online map allows you to pinpoint your location and will show contact details for beekeepers in your area. CLICK HERE to access that webpage. If a swarm collector is able to help, they will usually ask you some questions over the phone. This helps them understand any safety, practical, and logistical considerations. You may be asked things like:

• Is the swarm accessible and not going in and out of a building?

• How high up off the ground is the swarm?

• How big is the swarm (for example tennis ball sized or beach ball sized)?

• Are there any access issues?

• Are the bees on your property?

• Will you be at the property when I arrive?

• Are you the best point of contact once I am onsite?

• Does anyone nearby have a bee allergy?

• Do you have a dog?

• Are you able to safely send a photo of the swarm?

• Do you understand that I may need to visit once to leave a box and then return later in the day, once it is dark, to collect it?

A quick word of reassurance. If you have found a swarm and are now waiting for a beekeeper to arrive, try not to worry. Swarms can look dramatic and sound very noisy when they arrive, but they are usually at their calmest during this clustered stage. They are far more interested in staying together than bothering people. As long as they are left alone and are not pestered, they are very unlikely to cause you any problems.

Here are a couple of short videos to finish. The first shows a honeybee swarm settled in a tree, and the second shows that same swarm calmly making its way into a hive box I provided.

A honeybee swarm calmly perched in a tree. They are about 4ft off the ground.

I placed a hive on a step next to the swarm. I then positioned a hive frame like a ramp so the bees could walk straight in to the box. On 'this' occasion the bees agreed with me and thought the box would make a good home. They marched right in!