As part of their natural reproductive cycle, honeybees will swarm. A swarm is when a queen and a good portion of the worker population of bees leave the hive to find a new home. While a honeybee swarm is relatively harmless, it can be a frightening sight to people. Swarms should not be sprayed with water or disturbed in any other way. It is best to clear the area until a beekeeper arrives to make the removal.

Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers [KLCB] can help if one has found a swarm. There are KLCB beekeepers who can remove a swarm. They do not remove hornets’ nests, bumble bees, wasps or other stinging insects – just honeybees.

KLCB beekeepers also offer guidance on extractions from homes, buildings, and other structures. That is generally a service where a homeowner will need to engage a professional with carpentry skills for a fee (KLCB can’t always do it but may be able to help one locate the right person).  These member beekeepers act privately, as a service to the public, and are facilitated but not endorsed by KLCB.

To report a swarm and ask for assistance, call Jean Vose at 207-563-7564 or 207-691-0342.

Please note that exterminators will not kill honeybees and often refer homeowners to find a beekeeper. Conversely, beekeepers are not exterminators and will not remove other insects. Please try to identify them as honeybees and thank you for your interest in helping this important pollinator.

Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers is a chapter of the Maine State Beekeepers Association. The goal of the chapter is to encourage, support and promote education in matters related to bees and amateur/hobbyist beekeeping and to promote successful beekeeping in Knox and Lincoln counties.