Join The Edmonton Swarm Catching Community
Before we begin – if you’re in the Edmonton area and there IS a swarm of bees outside your window, call (780) two three five – zero two two three or visit Report A Swarm Or Honeybee Colony.
What is a Swarm?
warming is a natural process that occurs when a colony of bees splits itself in two – swarming is how colonies reproduce. Usually triggered by a lack of space, honeybees will prepare to swarm by preparing to make a new
Swarming is most common in the Spring and early Summer when strong hives run our of space inside the hive. When this occurs, the colony will prepare a new queen before half of the bees and the current queen search of a new location. Once they’ve left the hive these (temporarily) homeless bees are referred to as a swarm.
The swarm usually settles on a branch (or other structure in the air) and ball together while individual bees search for a suitable hive locations; hollow tree trunks, old barn walls, etc. When a site is found, the colony flies to the new location where they begin building a new hive.
However, if you call someone familiar with swarm catching (local beekeeping, as an example) they can often capture the swarm and introduce it to a vacant hive. More often than not, the bees find the hive suitable and decide to stay. The hive can then be moved to the location of the beekeeper’s choosing. Here’s a video of the swarm catching process. This is a swarm that my father and I captured outside of Edmonton. Notice how docile the honeybees are; completely gorged on honey (think how you feel after a Thanksgiving meal) and primarily concerned with finding a new home, the bees don’t pay much attention to us.
Join The Edmonton Swarm Catchers’ List
If you want to become an Edmonton swarm catcher, sign up for the Edmonton Swarm Catchers Remind List and receive instant notifications of swarms in the area. As beekeepers, it’s not uncommon to get calls from the public when swarms appear. The Edmonton swarm catchers list provides a way for beekeepers to coordinate with each other when unavailable to
How it Works
Sign up for the Edmonton Swarm Catchers List in one of three ways:
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Smartphone Push Notifications – From your phone, go to Remind.com and follow the on-screen directions.
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Text Notifications – Text the world @yegswarm to the number (587) 333-7884.
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Email Notifications – From a desktop computer, go to Remind.com and follow the directions.
If you’re called about a swarm and unable to catch it yourself, use Remind to send a message to the group. Conversely, swarms available for catching as posted to the group and you’ll be instantly notified. If you’re available to catch the swarm, send a reply and the group will be notified that you’ve got it covered.
