NEED Help with COLLECTING Swarms?


Do you have a Swarm?  (See photo above)

1. Relax - when bees are swarming they are generally very docile and show no aggressive tendencies. They will merely find a suitable spot to gather, as a temporary measure, while they send out scouts to find a more permanent location as a new home. They are not too choosy about where this temporary spot will be, it could be in a tree/bush, on a clothesline, a fence, a bicycle, anywhere that they can land to form a cluster to protect their queen.   If you have honey bees that seem to have made a home already, eg, in a tree or log, or inside a structure (wall, roof eave, etc), removing them is a TrapOut (TO) or CutOut (CO) situation. Beekeepers willing to consider assisting in this situation are shown below these notes.

2. MAKE OBSERVATIONS - of where they are --eg, would a ladder be needed to get to them?; roughly the size of the swarm (tennis ball, basketball, etc); and how long it has been in this spot.  A small cluster may be stragglers from a swarm that has moved on, with the queen.  PHOTOS that help indicate cluster size and the general vicinity showing site considerations (power lines, slopes, obstructions, etc) are very helpful.

3. PROPERTY RIGHTS and LIABILITY- If the bees are not on your property, you will need to provide the beekeeper with contact info for that land.  We have to talk with the property owner or tenant.  Although we post names for swarm collection as a public service, any arrangements made are between you and the beekeeper that agrees to do the collection.  They are responsible for their actions and they, not SABA, are liable if any injury or problems occur.

4. FIND A LOCAL BEEKEEPER - Use our geographically-oriented Swarm Lists to identify a beekeeper who is willing to travel to your area.  Our swarm beekeepers lists are suspended as of September because there is little likelihood of swarming until the Spring.  You may try to contact swarm keepers listed at the bottom of this section.

Our swarm keepers may not be able to fit a swarm collection into their schedule soon after you call, so you may (will probably) have to make a few calls to find someone who can help. If the person you call cannot respond for many hours, please tell them you will try somebody else on that list.  Scout bees are actively looking for a home, and may leave your location in a few hours.  Think of the bees you're trying to save! We hope you believe it's worthwhile to make a few calls to find someone who can help them today.

You can also check with beekeeping stores, County agricultural commissions, or your local animal or vector control.  (Some of these resources are shown below). 
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5. AT A SAFE DISTANCE - Sit back, watch and wait for the beekeeper to arrive. Any beekeeper will tell you that there is something very magical about a swarm. There is an electric feeling in the air, as the bees swirl round before clustering in a ball. Watching a swarm collected is an experience that you will not soon forget. You will have seen at first hand just how docile and truly magical these insects can be!
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6. TELL OTHERS  of your positive experience. All too often, bees get bad press. Honey bees are not the same as the wasps at the summer picnic; more information about their differences is at the bottom of this page. 
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Do you have wasps or bees?

Here’s how to tell the difference between a bee and a wasp! If you have a nest or infestation, please use this checklist to identify whether they are bees or wasps before you contact the above resources or an exterminator.
Picture
Bee
Picture
Wasp
Bee
  • fuzzy
  • help humans by pollinating plants
  • eat pollen and nectar
  • gentle in nature and rarely sting
  • legs are typically hidden while flying
Wasp
  • little or no hair
  • help humans by eating other insects
  • eat unattended human food
  • aggressive, and ready to sting
  • legs hang down while flying

 list of swarm collectors

This list of beekeepers is compiled from information submitted to us by the individuals who appear on this list. The Sacramento Area Beekeeper's Association does not employ or represent any of the individuals on this list.  Some, but not all may be members of the Association.  The list is in no way a recommendation or endorsement of the beekeepers’ skill, training or experience.  Please check with individual beekeepers for their qualifications.
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 TRAPOUT or CUTOUT (established colony)  or Winter Swarm Beekeepers 

   Louis Zurlo                   916-698-6800           -  Best Availability Friday thru Sunday
​​   Sarah Honey Rafael       916-370-0431
​   Blake Dacy                    916-849-3528
   Bar                                 916-961-5049
​   Ginger Shepherd            209-298-2081
​   DW Schoenthal              916-426-6445 
   James O'mary                209-858-8190

​Swarm List Soon - Call the above numbers in the winter.


OTHER RESOURCES for Swarm Capture Referrals:

Sacramento County
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Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies
2110 X Street, Sacramento CA 95818
916 451-2337 - Closed Sun. & Mon.

Counties in the Foothills:

El Dorado Beekeepers
https://eldoradobeekeepers.org/
Swarm Removal Link
https://eldoradobeekeepers.org/swarm-removal/


Nevada County Beekeepers Association
Lynn Williams:  530-675-2924
iamlynn@hughes.net
Karla Hanson:  530-265-3756
queenbeez@att.net
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Beekeepers of Napa County
Swarm list

Eastern Bay Area

Mt Diablo Beekeepers Association
Swarm list

Elsewhere
CA State Beekeepers Association
 Link to affiliated clubs