Shropshire Beekeepers' Association Swarms

Shropshire Beekeepers' Association



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Swarms


If you are not a beekeeper, a swarm of honeybees may look and sound quite daunting. However, there is no need to panic because unless attacked they are very unlikely to sting anyone. However, it is important that you do nothing to disturb or disperse them, not only because there is then more danger of being stung but also because honeybees, which are vital for plant pollination, are under severe threat from parasites and diseases and need our protection. By calling in a beekeeper you will therefore be helping the bees and the environment.

Swarms mostly appear between April and July and are the result of overcrowding in their home colony. When that happens, the queen bee and most of the older bees will leave to find a new home elsewhere. Their usual behaviour is to gather in a convenient spot (i.e. convenient for them!) and cluster together while a number of 'scout' bees go looking for a suitable site to set up a new colony. This can take anything between an hour and a couple of days. It is at this point that they can most easily be collected by a beekeeper. If the bees are left to their own devices they may move on to colonise a chimney or a wall cavity at which point it may only be possible to remove them by employing a suitably equipped and insured pest-removal service (typical cost £100!)

So if you see such a swarm of bees 'hanging about' please contact a beekeeper from the list below who will do his/her best to collect it for you. Please note, however, that we cannot work miracles. A swarm on a branch overhanging a pond or the glass roof of a conservatory, or 30 feet up a tree, may present an insuperable problem. Beekeepers also have other commitments and may not be able to drop everything to attend to your request immediately. However, we usually try our best because although bees left to establish a feral colony will almost certainly die out within a year or two, they can be quite a nuisance in the meantime.

One final point before you make that call.
There are many different kinds of flying
insect so please be as sure as you can be
that the insects you can see are actually
honeybees ......



not wasps* ......  



 ....or bumble bees: these are also protected
and should not be disturbed. They are
extremely unlikely to sting and their small nests
do not survive over the winter. Please note also that
bumble-bees vary widely in size. While the queen,
mostly seen flying in the Spring, is large,
the workers may be quite small.



If you are still not certain about the identity of the insects you can see, there is further information here.   These pictures of some typical swarms may also help:




The SBKA Swarm Co-ordinator is Steve Watkins (tel: 07974 931889). Contact him for general enquiries. (N.B. Information for members looking for swarms or willing to collect them is given on the Members page). The following Shropshire beekeepers have offered to help with swarm removal where possible. Choose someone who lives in your part of the county for a speedy response.

Shrewsbury Area
Ray Green: Tel. 01743 465079

Telford & Wrekin Area
Stuart Foster: Tel: 01952 618873
Steve Watkins : Tel. 07974 931889
Mike Jones : Tel: 07788 664508 [South Telford area]

North Shropshire Area
Tony Little: Tel. 01630 638267
Mike Heath: Tel. 01630 638267
John Perkins: Tel: 01948 890300

The following members of the North Shropshire Beekeepers Association are available:
Pennie Ayton: Tel. 01948 664176 [Whitchurch/Malpas area]
Paul Curtis: Tel. 01978 711972 [Ellesmere/Wrexham area]
Jane Floyd: Tel. 01939 250196 [Shawbury/Stanton area]
Tony Gray: Tel. 01691 791286 [Oswestry/Ellesmere area]
Malcolm Gray: Tel. 01630 654572 [Market Drayton area]
Martin Price: Tel. 01939 210862 [Hadnall/Shrewsbury area]
Frank Owen: Tel. 01939 260420 [Baschurch area]
Darren Peate: Tel.07716451859 [Wem area]
Andy Read: Tel. 01948 780534/07703598052 [North Shropshire/Wem/Whitchurch area]
David Salisbury: Tel. 07748984193 [Wem/Market Drayton/Grinshill area]
Joanna Schup: Tel. 01948 710731/07747410135 [North Shropshire/Wem/Whitchurch area]
Valerie Suffolk: Tel. 07740 706684 [Wem/Market Drayton area]

Bridgnorth Area
Roger Evans : Tel. 01746 766042
Peter Martin : Tel. 01746 718419
Peter Hampson: Tel. 01952 727636 [Much Wenlock/Cressage area]

Church Stretton Area
Jeremy Charlton : Tel. 01694 724673
Tony Phillips: Tel. 01694 751719

Oswestry Area
Steve Jones: Tel. 01691 682180
Glyn Williams: Tel. 01743 741213
The following members of the Oswestry Beekeepers Association are also available:
John Welch : Tel. 01691 656413; Mobile 07854 632 070
Glyn Jones : Tel. 01691 654448

South Shropshire
The following members of the Ludlow & District Beekeepers Association are available:
John Anderson [Tenbury Wells area] : Tel. 01584 810099
Tony Easteal [Clee Hill/Ludlow area] : Tel. 01584 890830
Elizabeth Hatchell [Clee Hill/Ludlow area] : Tel. 01584 890664)
John King [Church Stretton area] : Tel. 01694 781544
Culain Morris [Leintwardine area] : Tel. 01547 540675
Brian Roberts [Tenbury Wells] : Tel. 01584 811843
John Hall [Bishops Castle] : Tel. 01588 638343
Bryan Davies [Cleobury North/Bridgnorth] : Tel. 01746 787662
Chris Sansom [Bucknell/Knighton] : Tel. 01547 530830
David Chantler [Cleobury Mortimer] : Tel. 01584 891336
Andrew Black [Clungunford/Craven Arms] : Tel. 01547 540349


*?WASP TROUBLE?
This website, with its further links to others, may be helpful to you if you are having trouble with wasps.