Got a SWARM you need help with?

We gladly remove honey bee swarms and safely move them to our apiary where we will give them a good home.

Our primary service is to save honey bees. We prefer to not deal with other bees such as yellow jackets, wasps, hornets, or bumblebees, but we can handle these also for a fee. Please provide us with as much information as possible up front to properly identify what we are dealing with.

If possible, please send us photos showing:

The swarm or nest of bees,
A close-up of a bee for identification,
A wide shot showing where they are located (how high up a tree, in a wall, etc.) so we know what gear we need to bring to access them.

SWARMS:
Honey bee swarms are generally docile and not a danger, provided you leave them alone and keep your distance. They almost always leave on their own after a day or two so unless they are in a heavily trafficked area, there is usually no cause for concern. That said, we understand that the general population usually wants them gone as soon as possible and that's why you are here reading this. Do not call an exterminator for honey bee swarms. Most of them will just refer you to us anyway.

Swarming is the way honey bees reproduce and propogate their hives. Killing them is not the answer. So much in our ecosystem depends on them and their ability to do what bees do.

Beehive swarms are usually found in trees, on box-like structures, fenceposts, etc. But they can also be on cars, tractors, exterior walls, light posts, bird baths - the list goes on. They are dark brown and usually in a large clump more or less the size of a soccer ball, but that can vary. They do not build paper nests so if you see a large grayish structure or little balls of gray material hanging beneath your eaves, those are not honeybees. If you need additional help identifying a swarm, try this excellent resource. Or look at the graphic down near the bottom of this page.

Kitsap Beekeeping can generally safely remove most honey bee swarms, or safely retrieve them for you if you wish to keep them. If we remove the swarm and take it with us, there is no charge!

RATES:
There is a $50 service fee to cover fuel and time. That fee may increase if we have to travel beyond a resonable distance. This also covers us in case we are called out to remove something we do not handle, such as any kind of wasp, hornet or yellow jacket. That fee does not apply if we capture and keep a swarm.

SCENARIOS and PRICING:
1) We come out and capture a honey bee swarm and we remove it from your property. No fee at all - totally FREE!

2) We come out and capture a honey bee swarm and you keep it. Generally $100. May vary due to complexity and distance.

3) We come out but can't retrieve the swarm for some reason - it's too high or in a dangerous location for us to work in. $50 service fee applies.

4) We come out and it turns out they are not honey bees. $50 service fee applies.