If you find a swarm, we may be able to help remove it safely; however beekeepers can only deal with honey bees.
If you find bees in a bird box they are almost certainly bumble bees. These bees are quite different in appearance to honey bees. They nest in walls, birdboxes and under roofs and often close to the ground. Advice about bumble bees can be found here:
Swarming is the natural process honey bees use to increase the population. During the summer a queen bee and a large number of workers may leave the hive and eventually cluster in a football size ball, typically in a tree or bush. The cluster will remain until the bees find a new home when the whole swarm will leave.
If left undisturbed swarms do not generally pose a risk, however you should take sensible precautions, stand clear of flying bees, do not disturbing the cluster and keep pets and children away.
If you think that you have a swarm of honey bees you can contact a swarm collector local to Carlisle in the North West of the United Kingdom from the list below.
It helps tremendously if you are able to take a photograph on a mobile device before calling but please do not get too close put yourself in danger.
Our swarm collectors generaly only collect in areas a few miles around their homes. We do not charge for collecting bees but our collectors would appreciate a donation towards the cost of fuel.
10 miles around Brampton – Robin – Mobile 07732456015 – East side of Carlisle, Harker, Castleheads, Lanercost, Milton, Talkin, Warwick Bridge.
15 miles around Eastriggs – Lorraine – Mobile 07752904572 – Carlisle, Annan, Springfield, Gretna, Longtown.
15 miles around Anthorn – Jimmy – Mobile 07754029212 – Carlisle, Wigton, Aspatria, Abbeytown, Newton Arlosh, Silloth
10 miles around Dalston – Harold – Mobile 07806485377 – Carlisle, Wigton, Kirkbampton, Burgh by Sands, Wetheral, Wigton.
10 miles around Newcastleton – Helen – Mobile 01697748317 – Newcastleton, Hermitage, Larriston, Bewcastle, Spadeadam, Kirkcambeck, Hethersgill, Kirklinton, Longtown, Canonbie, Langholm.
15 miles East of Carlisle – Richard – Moblie 07778775623
Walton – Yola – Mobile 07534294380 – Carlisle, Longtown, Roadhead, Bewcastle, Spadeadam, Greenhead, Lambley, Slaggyford, Castle Carrock, Croglin, Armathwaite, Wetheral
Waterbeck – Nicholas – Carlisle, Annan, Langholm, Lockerbie, Longtown, Paddockhole, Kirtleton House, Wetheral, Gretna.
Occasionally available:-
8 miles around Wigton including Caldbeck – Jim – Mobile 07776 171128
Around Carlisle – Robert – Mobile 07980 194740
Around Dundrew – Adrian – Mobile 07813 878853
Around Ireby – Charles – Mobile 07939 936419
There are Bee Keeping Associations with their own websites and swarm collectors in Cockermouth, Keswick, Penrith and Whitehaven.
The link below is to the BBKA interactive map where you can find swarm collectors in England and Wales plus a few in Scotland and Northern Ireland.