Help - Bees !

There's a swarm of bees in my garden, what shall I do?
Don't Panic. Stay Calm.

Congratulations, the bees have chosen you, this is considered by many to be a sign of good fortune! But, beekeepers understand that not everyone wishes to share their house or garden with a swarm of honey bees and are usually able to find a suitable home for them.

The Twickenham and Thames Valley Bee-keepers Association operates a Swarm Collection service to the local community,
to put you in touch with a local beekeeper who may be able to remove the swarm safely. Generally, we do not make a charge for this (unless there is an excessive travelling cost involved), but should your "bees" turn out not to be honey bees, we may not be able to help further.
Before contacting us please read on...
If you are from outside of our area, please contact your local Bee-keeping Association.

Leave the bees alone. Don't disturb them.
Bees swarm as a normal part of the reproductive process, they are generally in a holiday mood and are unlikely to be aggressive if left undisturbed. If there are many bees flying around and partying in the garden, then keep your windows closed and watch from inside.(In the unlikely event of a bee sting, scrape out the sting straight away to minimise any effects.) After a while they will settle down and cluster around their mother, the Queen Bee.

Are you sure they are honey bees?
Look at the photos here, and elsewhere. The beekeeper will probably ask you some questions to make sure that your "bees" really are honey bees. Beekeepers get many calls about other flying insects, they need to know what to expect when arriving at your house.

You have a swarm of honey bees that needs to be collected.
Don't try to deal with the bees yourself. Wait for the Beekeeper. Listen to what he, or she, has to say.
Please remember that many bee-keepers also have full time jobs and families and so may be unable to come to you straight away.
Many bee-keepers will collect a swarm without making a charge
Some bee-keepers may charge a fee, to cover their reasonable expenses. Make sure you understand in advance what it may be.
Some bee-keepers may ask for a donation to help their local bee-keeping association.
Some bee-keepers may ask you to sign a disclaimer form, this is probably reasonable, but as with all small print, read it first!

The Highest in the Land have to wait when bees swarm.
Even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had to wait for a swarm of bees to be collected, when a swarm of bees joined one of her garden parties!
Maybe you'll be held up too, so why not take the opportunity to watch one of nature's wonders and learn a little about how bees help our environment?

Finding a Beekeeper
Your local Council (Environmental Health) or Police Station should have a list of bee-keepers who will collect swarms, try this first.

The British Beekeepers Association has a list of local Beekeeping Associations many of whom have their own websites with local contact details.
Their website also has much more information, pictures and advice regarding "swarming" insects; follow the Help! link.

If you are local to Twickenham we may be able to put you in touch with a beekeeper who can help. Please call 0797 343 1912

What will the Beekeeper do?
Well, that all depends...every situation is different, but essentially the bees will be persuaded to accept a suitable sized container as a temporary home.
The container might be a traditional straw skep, a plastic crate or a cardboard box, the bees won't mind too much in the short term so long as they are with their Queen.
The skep may be left until the evening so that all the bees have time to get home before the beekeeper takes them to their new beehive.