SwarmsSwarming is part of the natural reproductive life cycle of honeybees. When a bee colony becomes too large it divides by swarming. Here in Victoria the swarming season is usually between September and December. However, occasionally 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 10am and 2pm on warm sunny days.
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Bee Swarm CollectionA swarm of honeybees 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. This is usually after a few hours or up to a couple of days. Bee Nest RemovalBees that have made a permanent nest in and around
the house are often not tolerated by the occupants of that building. To
ensure that feral, abandoned or unwanted nesting colonies of honeybees
are not unnecessarily destroyed, some members of The Beekeepers Club are
willing to offer a Bee Removal service. Removing bees nesting in buildings can be very difficult and sometimes costly. Where there is no economical method of removing the bees, it may be necessary to destroy them. In such situations the services of a licensed Pest Control operator is required.
|        Swarm Collectors
To ensure that unwanted honeybees are not unnecessarily destroyed, members of The Beekeepers Club offer a swarm collection service, as well as the removal of bee nests where possible. To assist in finding a nearby swarm collector, see the list below. |
Swarm Collection List - BE SURE TO CONFIRM IF THE SWARM COLLECTOR CHARGES A FEE FOR COLLECTION
| Name | Address | Phone | Notes |
| Peter Rundle | Box Hill | 0457 006 575 | Swarms only |
| Bryce Smith | Box Hill | 0419 627 710 | Swarms only |
| John Treloar | Camberwell | 0409 164 234 | Swarms only |
| Alison Fisher | Donvale | 0401 483 593 | |
| Andrew Stanish | Diamond Creek/Eltham |
0418 521 869 |
Swarms and Nests |
| Bec McBride | Emerald | 0409 850 735 | Swarms and Nests |
| Dan Pamment | Essendon | 0409 216 482 | Swarms only |
| Gavin Preston | Forest Hill | 0402 833 228 | Swarms and Nests |
| Shayne Stanley | Glen Waverley | 0410 690 562 | Swarms only |
| Kent Henderson | Hawthorn East | 0417 599 548 | Swarms only |
| Mat Lumalasi | Heidelberg | 0414 406 136 | Swarms and Nests |
| Susan Zuber | Kinglake | 0413 698 140 | Swarms only |
| Geoff Neville |
Manningham |
0412 613 135 |
Swarms and Nests |
| Peter Milic | Mitcham | 0418 340 093 | Swarms only |
| Keith Piper | Mitcham | 9874 8634 | |
| Tony Wilsmore | Moonee Ponds | 0400 817 146 |
Swarms only |
| Peter Tipping | Narre Warren | 0403 173 837 | Swarms and Nests |
| Ashley Barrow | Narre Warren | 0414 366 633 | Swarms and Nests |
| Mustafa Hamini | Narre Warren East | 0412 307 213 | Swarms and Nests |
| Bryce Copeland | Nillumbik Shire | 0484 185 601 | Swarms and some Nests |
| Morgan Koegel | Northcote | 0402 496 217 | Swarms only |
| Andrew Wootton | North Carlton | 0481 392 798 | Swarms only |
| Stuart Stone | Park Orchards | 0408 764 045 | Swarms only |
| Maureen Koegel | Warrandyte | 0425 780 456 | Swarms only |
| Brad Hales | Watsonia, Warrandyte & Thomastown | 0417 549 707 | Swarms and Nests |