The ‘Swarming Season’ usually commences during April, as colonies expand rapidly with drone brood laid and stores. And so our RBKA Swarm Collecting Team also now swings into action.  However … they need YOUR swarm boxes prepared, and you will need homes for these swarms to go when collected. 

Any member needing  or wanting a swarm colony, or simply able to provide a temporary home for a swarm, please help our swarm collectors provide this voluntary public service by either supplying us with YOUR suitably prepared swarm boxes into which swarms can be hive directly ( a swarm box can be either a full size hive brood box or Nuclei), OR if you can take a swarm that has already been boxed for transferring into your own equipment) by reading the RBKA post “So, You Want a Swarm?”.

To be the recipient of a ‘ready-made’ colony, YOU need to (in this sequence):

1. Prepare YOUR OWN swarm box – as described in the instructions, read here – Preparing your Swarm Box
2. YOU register on RBKA website to receive a Swarm directly, Swarm Request Registration 
3. YOU contact the Swarm Collector (see Who’s Who) nearest or most convenient to you, for the options read here.
4. YOU arrange with the Swarm Collector you have contacted, to deliver your prepared box to that Swarm Collector – Swarm Registration List
5. YOU get your apiary ready to locate the hived swarm and be on stand-by to collect it from your chosen Swarm Collector – Picking Up your Hived Swarm’
6. After receiving a RBKA hived swarm, YOU provide a suitable donation to RBKA for the Swarm Team hiving the swarm. – read here
7. Can YOU help? –  Would you consider being a Swarm Coordinator to field calls to an available Swarm Team Collector OR become a Swarm Team Collector to assist, Swarm Team – Enrolment for 2022.

For full details of the Swarm Collection system that RBKA operates, visit Knowledge Base > Swarm Collection

Many thanks in anticipation of your support.

Would you be able to be a member of Reigate Beekeeper’s Swarm Collection Team this year?

Whilst we do have a number of existing Swarm Team members across the Reigate & Banstead and Mole Valley districts that generally describes RBKA’s, “catchment” area, there are some notable gaps in our coverage, and additional support in already covered areas is always welcome.

Swarm Team Members contact phone details are published on the Members Website Who’s Who page for members information, and in the Swarm Information pages of our Public Website (www.reigatebeekeepers.org.uk), to enable the Public to find a nearby Swarm Collector. 

Existing and prospective Swarm Collectors are requested to Re-Register or Register now as RBKA Swarm Team Members for the 2023 season, using the Contact Form below.  

It is recommended that RBKA Swarm Team Members also register with the BBKA because many Swarm Calls from the public are made via the BBKA’s list of Swarm Collectors. By agreeing in the form below to those details required by the BBKA being supplied to them, they will be forwarded on your behalf. You will not need to separately register.  

The BBKA have produced a Swarm Collectors protocol that should be read. Click here

Taking as a ‘given’ your expected enthusiasm and passion for bees and beekeeping, a few other key requirements to be a Swarm Collector are that you would be: [Read more…]

Attending calls from the public to ‘deal with’ a swarm of bees is not without some risk to the callers property, and broaching the subject of a donation to RBKA for services, hopefully successfully, rendered can be difficult.

For all members of the Swarm Collecting Team, as well as any other members who may find themselves adopting the role by virtue of being the locally known beekeeper, the use of a Disclaimer and Donation form is strongly encouraged.

• Download and print copies of this form now.  Click here or on the PDF document icon to open the form in a new window.
• Take a printed copy with you when attending a swarm call out, having pre-filled in your own name and contact details in both the upper and lower parts of the form.
• Please also add your initials to the Bank Transfer Reference code. This enables our Treasurer to eventually match up any donation payment received by bank transfer with the Swarm Collector who attended the call out.
• Upon arriving on-site, present the form whilst introducing yourself.
• It is recommended that you also take and show your BBKA Membership card, by way of validating yourself as a bona fide beekeeper (in case the bee-suit does not pursued them).
• Request the lower disclaimer part of the form only to be completed, signed by the property owner and RETURNED to you BEFORE you commence actual swarm capture efforts.
• Leave the upper part of the form with the owner to digest and hopefully eventually act upon whilst you set about dealing with the swarm.