Swarm Rescue 

• The Bee Guild trains members on the techniques to capture swarms including communication and safety concerns.  
• • The trained Bee Guild members volunteer to capture honey bee swarms on private or public property, when permission is granted – in many cases for free.
• If you have a swarm on your property, don't panic. Bee swarms are a natural response to an overcrowded hive and half or more of the colony depart to look for a new nesting cavity. 
• • With no eggs or brood nest to defend they are at their calmest. 
• A swarm may cluster from a few hours to a few days before flying off to look for a more permanent home. 
• • For the safety of the bees, and the neighborhood, it is best if the bees are collected and given a proper home, before they move into a tree, house, wall or other structure. 
• The Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild makes the swarm reporting and list available as an educational service to the public. 
• • While we do our best to train and vet those on these lists, we are neither an oversight nor certification organization for beekeepers. Though problems are very rare, members of the public engage individual beekeepers via this process on their own accord.
• If you are satisfied with the swarm service provided consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Bee Guild!

 

How you can help:

Step 1 -  Safety Assessment
Don't try to move the swarm or colony.
Don't spray it with anything.
Do keep pets and people away.

Step 2 -  Identification

Is it honey bees, or wasps or hornets?

- Bee guild members can only rescue honey bees. 

- See below for info about what to do with wasps, hornets, etc. 

Is it a Bee Swarm in a temporary location, or a Bee Colony that lives in a tree or structure?

 - Bee Colonies inside a hollow tree or structure, require a bee removal specialist from the list below. 

- Bee Swarms in a temporary location, which are easy to access. 

- Guild members are trained for these types of bee swarm rescues, typically for free.

Step 3: Find and call a beekeeper to report the Swarm or Colony. 

Go to the phone list below and call a beekeeper directly and coordinate the removal. 

- For bee swarms, call people in the “Swarm Rescue” section. 

- For bee colonies in structures, or inside hollow trees, scroll down to the "Bee Removal Specialist” section.

- Colony removal requires special skills, and typically requires a fee. 

Notes: 

- Please only work with one beekeeper at a time.

- Take a photo to text to the beekeeper, so they can evaluate the difficulty of rescuing the Swarm or Colony.

- If it is a Colony in a structure or tree more photos and information about the locations will be needed.

BEe REmoval Specialists

If you have honeybees (not wasps or yellow Jackets) in a wall or in a structure on your property, please call a professional to safely remove the bees. As a courtesy, below is a list of member beekeepers who are experienced, licensed, insured, and charge a fee for service

Swarm Reporting for Neighboring Counties