The Beekeepers Club Inc.

Bee Removal

To ensure that bees are not unnecessarily destroyed, members of The Beekeepers Club offer a Swarm Collection service, as well as the removal of bee nests where possible.


1. Bee Swarm Collection

Swarming is part of the natural reproductive life cycle of honey bees. When a bee colony becomes too large it divides by swarming. Here in Victoria the swarming season is usually between September and December but on occasions colonies may swarm at other times. Warmer weather, combined with an abundance of nectar and pollen, stimulate the colony to increase in population. Swarms usually emerge from the colonies between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm on warm sunny days.

A swarm of honey bees will cluster temporarily at one location, often hanging off the branch of a tree or bush, while a few scout bees locate a new home. When a suitable home is found the swarm moves as a group to that new site. The existance of a swarm can take a few hours or several days.

If the swarm of bees is in an accessible location, then we can assist by collecting the swarm.

When you see a swarm settling on your property.

• Keep children and pets inside the house until the flying bees have clustered onto a bush or another object.

• After the swarm has clustered and most of the bees have stopped flying, it is normally safe to be outside the house.

• Keep children and animals well away from the swarm.

• Arrange to have the swarm removed.

• Wear footwear to protect your feet in case bees have settled on the ground.

• Do not attempt to move the swarm by hosing it, throwing stones at it, smoking the bees or taking any action to make the swarm move. This action will only aggravate the bees and encourage them to sting in defence.

• Interfering with the swarm will make it more difficult for a beekeeper or licensed pest control operator to deal with the bees.

For the Removal of a swarm several options are at hand.

• As a start you could contact your local council for advice. They might have a list of local beekeepers.

• You could ring "Bee Help Line" on 1902 241 059 (call cost $2.20 per minute.  A higher rate applies to mobile & public phones)

• You could ring "Pest Control" - we do not endorse this option for swarm collection as destruction of the bees might be the result.

• Provided you live in the Melbourne area you can ring one of the club members listed in the table below.

The Beekeepers Club Inc. has deployed two Swarm Coordinators who match available swarms with members of the club wanting a swarm.

Please respect the privacy of others and make phone calls only between 8:30am and 7:00pm

2. Bee Nest Removal

The nesting site of honey bees is a sheltered, darkened enclosure. This could be tree hollows or in structures such as attics, between the wall studs of houses, garages or other buildings, within porch roofs, meter boxes or in similar areas. Beekeepers keep their bee colonies in boxes called hives.

Bees nesting in and around the house is often not tolerated by the occupants of that building.

To ensure that feral, abandoned or unwanted nesting colonies of honeybees are not unnecessarily destroyed, members of The Beekeepers Club offer a Bee Removal service.

If the bees are nesting in an accessible location, then we might be able to assist by removing them.

To remove a bee nest from a compost bin is fairly easy, although it can be quite an extensive job when the bees have been living there for some months or years.

However, removing bees nesting in buildings can be very difficult and sometimes very costly.

Where there is no easy and economical method of removing the bees, it may be necessary to destroy them. In some situations the services of a Pest Control organisation might be required.

When bees have been using the same location for a while, their nest can be quite extensive and itself will need to be removed. Otherwise it won't take long and a new bee colony moves in, attracted by the scent of honey stored in the comb.

Please respect the privacy of others and make phone calls only between 8:30am and 7:00pm

Bee Removal in other areas of Australia

If you are in and around Canberra and want to have bees or swarms removed, go to bindaree.com.au

If you are on the Gold Coast and want to have bees or swarms removed, click here for details.

How to prevent swarming and control swarms as a beekeeper - go to Swarm Prevention.

Bee Removal in other parts of the world

Removing bees alive to save them is done by beekeepers all around the world. Here are web links to beekeepers in other countries offering bee removal.

Bee Removal - A Bee Removal Service across the U.S.A.

The difference between Swarm, Nest, Hive

We sometimes get reports like "a beehive hanging on a rose bush" or a "bee swarm in a possum box" - there seem to be confusion about the terms and we thought it might be worthwhile to clarify them.

If you want to be listed for swarm collection or bee nest removal, or make changes to your details, please use this form: