Portsmouth Beekeepers

Portsmouth & District Beekeepers Association - Honey Bee Swarms

Portsmouth Beekeepers operate a swarm collection service to assist members of the public and to safeguard the valuable honey bee. If you get a swarm of Bees in your garden what can you do?
Swarms usually happen during the late morning or afternoon from April to August. If the Beekeeper can get to the swarm quickly the bees can usually be collected safely. Although a swarm of bees is normally harmless, they do frighten some people and it is best to leave them alone and keep your distance. When the bees arrive they will quickly form a cluster on a bush or tree. They will normally stay like that for the rest of the day.

Bees usually swarm when a colony is strong enough to divide. At that time half the bees and one queen will fly off to make a new home.  This is just their way of reproduction and before they go they will gorge themselves on honey, taking enough food to survive for a little while. Do not be alarmed, just walk away and leave them to settle.

If you contact us we will try to arrange for the swarm to be collected in the early evening. Please be aware that bees should not be harmed or sprayed with pesticide.

If you see a swarm then please call one of the Beekeepers below:

The area covered is about a 20 mile radius of Portsmouth. This will cover the whole of Portsmouth. Hayling Island, Havant, Waterlooville, Portchester, Wickham, Locks Heath, Whiteley, Titchfield and Gosport.

Before calling ensure they are Bees and not Wasps please see our Know your Bees page.

Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies in hives, in order to collect honey and beeswax, this maybe for the purpose of pollinating crops, or to produce honey for sale. A location where bees are kept is called an apiary. The technical name for beekeeping is apiculture, based on the word "apis" which is the latin term for bees.

The Portsmouth and District Beekeepers are currently numbering over 75 registered, partner and country members. We have monthly meetings outdoors in the spring and summer when we hold apiary meetings, and indoor meetings in autumn and winter. We are affiliated to Hampshire Beekeepers Association and the British Beekeepers Association. We openly welcome newcomers to join us so why not get in touch?

Portsmouth and District Beekeepers' Association

The Spring Programme

Meetings are held on the fourth TUESDAY of each month 19:30 - 21:00 in Portchester Parish Hall

Melvyn Asplett will be running his Beekeeping Course throughout the summer.

For detailed "Whats On" please read the April News Letter.