Timing is very important – if you suspect you have a honeybee swarm – please call or text me at (712) 202-8505
Are you positive they are honeybees?
How far off the ground are the bees located? What is the cluster hanging on?
How long have the bees been there?
How large is the cluster? The size of a baseball, a volleyball or larger?
If possible, send me a picture for reference.
Are you the owner of the property? If not, do you have the owner’s contact information?
Is location easily accessible; is there drive-up access?
Swarming is a honeybee colony’s natural means of reproduction. In the process of swarming, a single colony splits into two or more distinct colonies. A swarm of honeybees is a familiar sight in the spring and summer. There is no telling where a swarm might land. It could be a bush, a tree branch, or patio furniture. Honeybee swarms cluster together for protection and warmth in a temporary resting place. In the center of this ball is their queen. The swarming bees do not stay there long. As soon as scout bees find a nice suitable and protected home, the swarm will fly away. This makes timing crucial.
In capturing these swarms, I hope to develop productive honey colonies which will continue to pollinate our environment. I will do my best to remove and take the honeybee swarm with me. Normally this is the easier way to collect and save honeybee swarms. Sometimes the scouts find a new permanent home – (in a structure) like your home or shed.
If you discover the bees have built a nest in an unwanted location, such as inside a wall, a chimney, or porch, it makes the removal more difficult. I have a bee vac to assist in the process. I will do my best to remove the bees and discuss the best solution(s) for removal. There may be a fee for this service if I need to employ the expertise of a general contractor. If you know or have your own contractor, I am willing to work with them as well. It is not about the money to me; it is about saving your structure and the honeybees.
Picture right is a swarm in the window roofing of a home, 2 stories high. It required the use of a lift and my bee vac. This was a huge colony and it took the whole day for the removal and cut out.
Sometimes honeybees will continue to swarm to the same location. I had an apple tree in KY that seemed to be a great spot. I caught 2 swarms on it before moving out of state. If this is the case, please reach out to me in early spring or late winter and I will place a swarm trap on your property. I prefer to place it on a tree about 8 feet off the ground. Please see the picture below. I will put 1 bolt in the tree and then use a ratchet strap to keep the box from blowing in the wind. This allows me to hang and lower the trap by myself. If a swarm moves in, I will come at dawn or dusk to close or retrieve the trap when all the bees are in for the night. I will need access every 7-10 days to check and rebait the swarm trap. I normally hang a minimum of 2 of these traps at all my bee yards.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.