Swarms aren't always this easy to collect. [Photo: Pokrajac]

Kidderminster Beekeepers has an experienced team who are happy to advise about swarms of honey bees.

If a swarm of honey bees has landed on your property or in a public place we will be glad to hear from you and advise on the correct way to remove it.

We can also give advice about honey bees which have taken up residence in unwanted places such as houses and outbuildings; in many cases they can be moved.

BEFORE YOU CONTACT KBKA - Please see the checklist below

• I have a swarm of honey bees that has appeared on my property. What should I do?

First, check if what you have are bees or wasps. This may sound rather obvious, but it is an easy mistake to make. Wasps and honey bees are about the same size, but wasps have alternating black and bright yellow body stripes. Honey bees are brown, with paler brown or dirty yellow bands on the body. Bumblebees are furry.

• I checked and they are honey bees. What should I do next?

If the bees are already lodged in a chimney, roof or wall space, and have been there for some time (weeks, months or even years), then they are a well-established colony, with combs of honey and young bees. If the bees have only appeared within the last few days, or if they are clustered in the open hanging from a branch of a tree or bush, then you have a newly arrived swarm, with bees only, and probably no combs built yet. In either case, if the bees are causing a danger to you, children or livestock, then call your Local Authority (Council) Pest Control Officer or an independent pest control company. They will probably make a charge for this.

• They are not a danger, or I would prefer to offer them to a local beekeeper. How do I find one?

The best way to find a local beekeeper is to contact Worcestershire Beekeepers’ Association.

Kidderminster Beekeepers’ Association is a part of this and we are happy to help those in our area. However, while a local beekeeper will do their best to be helpful, there are situations—particularly when bees are lodged happily in a chimney or wall space—when removing the bee colony successfully can be time-consuming and difficult, and success cannot be assured. The removal of a free-hanging swarm in the open is usually much simpler however, and you are more likely to find a local beekeeper who is prepared to come and remove it for you. Do please bear in mind however that beekeepers are not a free pest control service, and in some situations you may still have to call in a pest control company to deal with a well-established colony.

We can only solve problems with honey bees. Bees in a bird box are unlikely to be honey bees and probably the tree bumble bee Bombus hypnorum, a species recently introduced to the British Isles.

Please follow this link to the BBKA’s website where you can get help to identify whether you have honey bees and find the nearest Swarm Collector to you by entering your postcode.

If you still need help please contact our Swarm Co-ordinator.