Report a honey bee swarm in the Santa Ynez Valley, California.
Please read the information below, then fill out and submit the form.
Ballard -
Buellton -
Los Olivos -
Santa Ynez -
Solvang
We are happy to collect any accessible swarms of honey bees within the
Santa Ynez Valley and relocate them. If we are unable to collect the swarm
ourselves, we will forward your request to another local beekeeper.
Swarm capture is usually free. Removal of an established colony may involve a fee.
A swarm is a clump of bees exposed to the elements
,
either hanging off a tree, bush, park bench, etc. or spread out on the ground.
The bees have not constructed much, if any, honeycomb.
Swarms are generally easy to capture.
The earlier a swarm is reported, the better.
Otherwise, the swarm may leave to inhabit somewhere where it's not wanted.
In cold or wet weather, the swarm may perish or greatly diminish in numbers.
A cutout is the removal of an existing physical colony of bees
,
with honeycomb, such as a colony inside an irrigation box, tree hollow, wine barrel,
under eaves, or inside a wall.
Removal of such a colony is time-consuming, and we may refer you to someone else to do the cutout.
Swarms should be captured as soon as possible, whereas cutouts
are rarely an urgent matter and their extraction can be arranged at any time.
Honey bees will be gently captured and relocated to a good home.
Honey bee
Yellow jacket
