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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN 
APIARISTS' SOCIETY


SWARMS

Bee swarms are a relatively common occurrence in September, October and November in Western Australia but can be found at other times of the year too. Swarming is a response to lack of space in the hive and typically happens as spring nectar flows start and hive numbers need to expand.  A decision is made by the hive to take the Queen and her workers to a new, spacious home where they can maximise the nectar on offer.

When bees swarm they are most unlikely to sting, so despite their appearance, people should not fear them, just treat them with respect. When a cluster of bees is seen hanging on a tree branch or similar, they are NOT thinking of setting up home there! They are in transition, clustered around their Queen and waiting for the scout bees to find new accommodation.

This is the best time to remove them - before they make a permanent home somewhere inconvenient and become a feral hive. There are many beekeepers who are available to remove the cluster of bees at this stage - please see our list of Swarmcatchers below.


Feral Hives

Once the scouts find a place to stay the swarm will move to their new location and set up their hive. They will quickly start making comb so the Queen can begin laying and worker bees can begin storing honey supplies. Once they have established themselves they are no longer considered to be a swarm and their placid nature can change.

Typically these new homes will be in holes in established trees, Telstra boxes or reticulation boxes (a favourite location), inside furniture left on your verandah, in gaps between double brick walls, behind weatherboards or any number of inconvenient locations for humans. And getting them out can be tricky. Sometimes accessing bees in these locations may require weatherboards or bricks to be removed or trees to be lopped and in some cases the only viable option is to euthanase the bees. 

There are many beekeepers who will help remove established colonies like this too. They often refer to these more difficult removals as "cut outs". It is always a good idea to check with a beekeeper before calling in a pest control service.


Swarmcatchers

The Western Australian Apiarists Society (WAAS) as an amateur organisation does not provide or endorse any swarm catching or bee removal services or business, but we do have a list of members who are happy to tackle swarm catching and feral hive removal. Members mostly charge a fee for their work and you are advised to discuss this with them when contact is made. 

As general information, WAAS advises that members of the public who intend on contacting anyone for potential bee related work should consider the following points below, as a minimum;

  • Is the person adequately insured, considering the proposed activity?
  • Does the person have the required expertise?
  • How long has the person been undertaking similar activities?
  • Is the person adequately equipped to undertake the activity?
  • Does the person charge for their service?

The following individuals have indicated their availability to provide services with respect to bee related activities and have met the basic criteria of being WAAS members with signficant experience in catching swarms.

It will help our Swarmcatchers if you can provide photos of the swarm or feral hive.

Please note that our Swarmcatchers will mostly charge for their services - especially for difficult jobs. This covers their time, travel expenses and equipment costs.

 To report bees in Telstra pits, please call 132200 and say “Report damages” and give the closest physical address. Only Telstra registered beekeepers are allowed to access Telstra equipment to remove bees.


NAME

CONTACT

AREA

Will undertake cutouts where feasible

NOTES 

(each swarmcatcher will have different fees and conditions)

METRO AREA

       
 Daniel Bremer  0411 808 383  Metro South    A bee friendly licensed pest control man - can solve complex bee problems. Will save bees where feasible. From $330.
 Gordon Carter

 0429 784 831  Chittering and surrounds  

 David Currey

 0417 173 551

 Hills area  Cutouts charged according to difficulty
 Soren Houlberg

 0432 265 922

 Metro South / Rockingham / Kwinana / Mandurah / Secret Harbour / Port Kennedy / Casuarina / Byford / Mundijong / Wandi / Beeliar / Cockburn     Public Liability insurance, ABN

 Myles Kelly

 0417 927 202

 Lynwood / Ferndale / Willeton / Canning Vale / Leeming / Shelley / Gosnells / Southern River / Cannington and south of the river  
 Roy Murphy

 0409 780 916  North of the River - Mount Claremont to Yanchep and surrounding areas  Fully insured
 Kim Newbold  0418 939 259 Perth Metro and South to Mandurah  Cutouts and difficult removals will be quoted. Full public liability insurance
 Mike Newcombe  0419 196 211  Perth Metro  
 Ronald Peebles  0439 694 488  Rockingham / Shoalwater Bay / Medina  Swarm collection $100 ($50 for pensioners). Cutouts and difficult removals from $150. All takings go toward rehousing bees.
  Brett Rabey 0418 903 764  Inner metro   Fully insured.
 John Rogers  0457 230 191  City of Vic Park / Gosnells / Canning / Melville / Cockburn / Belmont / Fremantle    Free Advice for Bee problems - just send me a photo first. Experienced, reliable, insured. Swarm collection $100+
 Roumen Sankoff  0449 579 371  Floreat / City Beach / Churchlands / Woodlands / Wembley Downs /  Scarborough    Public Liability Insurance
 Rachel Stone  0401 329 359  Eastern Hills / Swan Valley  
 Adrian Sykes  0410 040 088  Swan Shire / 25km radius of Caversham   Complicated cut outs undertaken, Public Liability insurance, ABN
 Chris Thomas  0419 954 691  Peel, Rockingham and Kwinana areas    No charge for simple swarms
 Sonny Tilbury  0417326834  South of the River    Send photos if possible
 Bert Valenti  0408 096 388  Swan Valley and surrounds    
 Sean Walsh  0417 754 204   Metro South, Swan Valley to Ellenbrook, Hills and surrounds     ABN
         
 REGIONAL WA         
 Pieter Berkelaar  0423 279 202  City of Albany  $50 to home a swarm, removing hive from difficult places by negotiation
 Dirk Hos  0414 385 350  Margaret River / Busselton / Dunsborough / Yallingup / Augusta  Depending on the swarm and the distance, there may be a charge
 Helen Humphreys  0422 095 870  Bunbury and Surrounds / Dardanup / Boyanup / Burekup  by negotiation Professional beekeeper, trainer and mentor with ABN and insurance. Fee based on travel distance and difficulty of job
 Jasmine Hunter  0419 169 571 Australind / Eaton / Bunbury / Dalyellup / Dardanup / Boyanup  
 Brian Keatley  0427 197 683  Little Grove (Albany)    
 Roland Kuendig  0422 791 197  Busselton / Carlotta / Manjimup / Nannup  Please send a photo
 Tony Page 0436 855 763 Northam /York, /Toodyay / Bakers Hill
Charge depends on difficulty of removal and distance travelled
 John Ramsay  0437 384 955  Donnybrook / Capel / Bunbury  by negotiation  
 Mike Smith  0477 794 511  Margaret River and surrounds  by negotiation   Please send a photo
 Ron Smith

 08 9721 2393
 
0409 302 618

 Bunbury region  
 Jim Watson  0419 833 470  Kalgoorlie  Charge depends on difficulty of removal and distance travelled.
         
 

Disclaimers:
WAAS as an organisation provides the information in the list above only for the purposes of allowing interested persons to contact individuals regarding bee related issues. Any agreement, engagement or activity that may be undertaken thereafter, by persons contacting individuals on the Swarm Catch list, is at their own risk and liability.

WAAS does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for issues which may arise as a result of persons contacting individuals named above. All persons are advised to undertake their own due diligence with respect to bee related activities.

If you are a financial WAAS member with some experience at catching swarms and/or undertaking cutouts and would like to be considered for this list, please complete this online form and then email membership@waas.org.au to register your interest.


Photo credits
Swarm - Alyssa Clark
Feral hive - Darren Seinor


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