Bee Swarms & Removal

Need a Honey Bee Swarm removed?

PWRBA SWARM DISPATCHER: Contact Jim Gehlsen at 703-203-2641

The Swarm Dispatcher will assign a PWRBA member to remove a swarm from your property. This is usually a free or low-cost service.

As part of their natural reproductive cycle, honey bees will swarm. A swarm is when a queen and a good portion of the worker population of bees leave the hive to find a new home. While a honeybee swarm is relatively harmless, it can be a frightening sight to people. Swarms should not be sprayed with water or disturbed in any other way. It is best to clear the area until a beekeeper arrives to make the removal. The beekeepers below can be contacted to collect swarms of honey bees or conduct extractions from homes, buildings, and other structures.

Some simple information to have before calling:

What does the swarm look like? If the swarm has a “nest” then it is likely not honey bees but hornets or wasps especially if it is “papery” looking. A swarm of honey bees will cluster into a roughly round shape on an object like a tree branch. (see photos below)
Where is the swarm (physical address)?
Contact name and phone number.
What has the swarm landed on? How high up is the swarm?
Are there any special concerns in the area? (children, water hazards, bees in the house, etc.)
Are you sure they are honeybees? Check it out here: http://pollinator.com/identify/whatsbuzzin.htm

Contacts

swarm on a branch