Question 1

Does it cost anything to report a bee swarm?

Accepted Answer

Reporting is free. Swarmed never charges the public to report a swarm or to be connected with a beekeeper, and a contribution to Swarmed is suggested afterwards but never required. Most reporters chip in around $12, but your report is handled either way. The removal itself is normally free too: a beekeeper collecting a swarm resting in the open does not usually charge. It can depend on the situation, though, and an unusually difficult retrieval or an established colony inside a structure may be quoted.

Question 2

Is bee removal always free?

Accepted Answer

Usually, but not always, and it depends on the situation. A swarm is a cluster of bees resting in the open while they look for a new home, and a beekeeper will normally collect and relocate it at no cost. An unusually difficult retrieval, for example one very high up or hard to reach, may be quoted by the beekeeper. An established colony living inside a wall, roof, floor or tree cavity is a different job called a cutout: the comb and honey have to be removed, so that is paid work. Swarmed itself never charges the public either way.

Question 3

Who pays Swarmed?

Accepted Answer

Beekeepers, and only if they choose to. Swarmed's pricing page is for beekeepers who receive swarm alerts, not for the public. There is a free beekeeper plan, and a pay-what-you-want contributor plan that adds text message and WhatsApp alerts plus seasonal insights. Members of the public never pay Swarmed to report a swarm.

Question 4

Does Swarmed take a cut of what a beekeeper charges for a cutout?

Accepted Answer

No. When a cutout is quoted, that arrangement is between the homeowner and the beekeeper or removal professional. Swarmed does not set the price, collect it, or take a share.