What to Do When You Find a Honey Bee Swarm | Swarmed

Have you spotted a honey bee swarm? You are in the right place. Use our simple form (opens in a new tab) to report the bee swarm. Swarmed will connect you for free with a local beekeeper who can remove it safely and easily.

Swarmed is a mission-driven service that helps protect pollinators by linking public swarm sightings to trained beekeepers. After one of the worst winters for colony losses in the United States, and with only about 25 percent of wild swarms surviving without beekeeper help, your action makes a real difference.

Step 1: Confirm It Is a Bee Swarm

A swarm is different from a hive or a wasp nest. Swarms:

• Cluster in a ball shape, often hanging from a tree, fence, or structure
• May stay put for a few hours or up to a day
• Move calmly and are not aggressive

You will not see combs or permanent structures in a swarm. They are just resting bees looking for a new home.

Step 2: Keep Your Distance

• Stay calm. Swarming bees are not defensive.
• Stay at least 15 feet away.
• Keep pets and children inside.

There is no need to panic. Most swarms will stay still until a beekeeper comes.

Step 3: Do Not Spray

Spraying a bee swarm with chemicals will kill the bees and attract pests. It also creates a hazardous situation for you and others.

Step 4: Report the Swarm (opens in a new tab) Quickly

Use our form (opens in a new tab) to report your bee swarm. Include:

• The exact location
• A description of where the swarm is located
• A photo, if it is safe to take one

Swarmed will alert local beekeepers immediately.

Step 5: Let the Professionals Handle It

A beekeeper will usually arrive within an hour. They will safely collect and relocate the swarm to a managed hive where the bees can survive and thrive.

Why This Matters

With pollinator populations declining and winter colony losses reaching record highs, every bee swarm saved helps support local ecosystems and agriculture. Only about 25 percent of wild swarms survive without human help. Your report helps close that survival gap.

Swarmed makes it easy to protect bees and help your community at the same time.