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  THINK YOU HAVE A HONEY BEE SWARM?

• Honey bee swarms are usually not aggressive. If you find a swarm of honeybees on or near your property, don’t worry!

• Bees are valuable! Please don’t use insecticide or call an exterminator.

• Check out our resources below. Local beekeepers are usually happy to help you remove the swarm.

• Honey Bees or Yellow Jackets? Sometimes yellow jackets and nests are confused for Honey Bee swarms. Taking a picture and sending it to the number below will help us quickly tell you if you have a swarm or a wasp problem. Setting out wasp traps in early March to catch the wasp queens will help solve problems at your August BBQ or relaxing in the backyard.

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Join our Response Team

To join the Swarm team, you must be a member of PCBA. 

Please click on the link below and completely fill out the form.

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To Request a Swarm Removal 
Contact Mary Dempsey: 253-640-1615

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Because we are invested in the care of honey bees, we provide uncomplicated swarm removals free of charge. If you would like to help us continue to provide this service, there is a suggested donation of $50 that can be made through our online portal.

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  WHAT DOES A HONEY BEE SWARM LOOK LIKE?

Honey bees swarms can land on a variety of objects and be located at varying heights. Clusters can be down low on a bush, spread across a fence, or high up on a tree limb. They will not have a built nest surrounding them, but rather a cluster of bees hanging from a limb, branch, fence or other object.

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NOT SURE THAT IT’S A HONEY BEE SWARM?

Honeybee swarms are easy to identify. For one, there won’t be a hive of any type, just a large mass of bees clinging to an object. Also, a honeybee is different from a wasp and yellow jacket. Honeybees are fuzzy and wasps and yellow  jackets are not as identified by the pictures here:

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ARE SWARMS DANGEROUS?

Honey bee swarms are not dangerous, but unless you are an experienced beekeeper, please do not attempt to disturb/displace the swarm. These bees are simply in the process of finding a new home and the beekeeper that that comes will give them just that, a nice hive in a proper location!

Please do not spray the bees with pesticides, insecticides or water. Wait for a beekeeper to come and take them away. These are typically gentle insects that are a huge benefit to the plants we have in our gardens and to the foods we eat. The only time you’ll encounter an angry bee (or other insect/animal for that matter) is if you disturb it. In fact, if you have a swarm, consider yourself lucky to be experiencing this marvel of nature!

Because we are invested in the care of honey bees, we provide uncomplicated (bees not in walls, attics, under decks, etc.) swarm removals free of charge as a community service. If you would like to help us continue to provide this service, there is a suggested donation of $50 that can be made through our online portal.