Swarm Catchers
Scroll down for information about honeybee swarms and how to deal with them. Then contact one of our members from the list below.
| Name | Phone # | Coverage Area |
|---|---|---|
| Miguel Boriss | Home: (360)-752-0204 Cell: (360)-483-7892 |
Bellingham and 10 miles outside city |
| Cathy Brooking and Pete Sallee |
Home: (360) 733-2978 Cell: (360) 739-0872 |
Whatcom County, North Skagit County |
| Russell Deptuch Bees Choice Honey |
Home: (360) 380-5426 Cell: (360) 815-3989 |
B’ham, Ferndale, Blaine, Birch Bay, N.Whatcom Co., Small Pollination Jobs |
| Mindy Collins | Home: (360) 592-5317 Work: (360) 778-7962 |
Bellingham. Everson, Deming |
| Paul Cullman | Home: (360) 384-0743 | Ferndale, Custer |
| Cathy Duren | Home: (360) 671-0351 Cell:(360) 303-1642 |
Bellingham, Everson, Ferndale, Whatcom Co. |
| John and Janille Dutton | Home: (360) 733-5415 Cell: (360) 303-0104 |
Bellingham, Marietta |
| Jim Green | Home: 441-3266 | Bellingham, Whatcom and No. Skagit Counties |
| Michal Handy | Home: 734-9362 | Central Bellingham Area |
| Michael Jaross | Home: (360) 676-9214 Cell: (360) 483-9754 |
Fairhaven, Chuckanut, Lake Padden, WWU |
| Don Johnston | Home: 224-5751 | B'ham & Whatcom Co.- Northshore Dr.- Squalicum/Stewart Mts. |
| Jim LaHatt | 676-8332 | Downtown Bellingham |
| Jim Lyons | (360) 733-2480 | Geneva |
| Bob Mosher | (360) 592-2310 | Deming, Acme, Kendall, Glacier, Nugent's Corner |
| Rod Parks | Home: (360) 384-6444 Cell: (360) 296-0229 | Ferndale, Custer, Birch Bay, Lynden |
| Jon Raney | (360)393-2965 | N. Bellingham, Ferndale |
| Sean Slocum | Home:(360) 371-2390 Cell:(360) 393-0211 | Ferndale, Custer, Birch Bay, Blaine |
| Anne Smith | (206) 226-8732 | Everson |
| Paul Spinelli | (206) 226-8732 (360) 734-1116 |
Bellingham |
| Kirk Spoelstra | Home: 384-0770 Cell: 820-8083 |
Ferndale, Custer, Birch Bay, Whatcom Co. |
| Allan Waller | Work: 733-5184 | Ferndale |
| Peter Willing | 739-3047 360-592-0939 |
Mt Bkr Hwy, Rome, Cedarville, Deming. |
| Roger Woods | Home: (360) 734-8355 Cell: (360) 201-9089 |
Bellingham, N. B’ham |
Important information to consider before calling a beekeeper on our list:
● Mt. Baker Beekeepers Association publishes an annual list of members who are available to retrieve honeybee swarms from many Whatcom County areas. This is generally a free service, benefitting both citizens and beekeepers.
●Honeybee Swarms are docile and harmless. Swarms occur in late spring and summer. A swarm is a dense cloud of flying bees which eventually settles in a tree or bush, then forms a tight cluster to stay warm and protect their queen. They are intent on finding a new home after having left their old, overcrowded home. Remember, swarms are not aggressive, though there are always “guard bees” on duty. The guard bees will sting if the swarm is threatened. Leave the swarm for a beekeeper to deal with, or just leave it undisturbed and it will usually leave in a day or two. A clustered swarm is just stopping temporarily as honeybees do not fly at night.
●Our beekeepers service most areas of the Whatcom County. Please check to see that they service your area before calling. The sooner you call after sighting a swarm, the better the odds of successfully capturing it.
●Beekeepers will first ask a few questions on the phone to determine if the swarm consists of Honeybees. They are not prepared to deal with other types of bees, wasps or hornets.
●Beekeepers capture swarming colonies of honeybees in order to replace hives lost over the winter or to increase the number of hives in their apiaries.
●Beekeepers may decline to capture a swarm if it’s in a dangerous location or inside the wall or roof of a building. Beekeepers are not responsible for property damage once you have asked them to remove a swarm. You may be asked to sign a permission form.
Questions?
Contact: Michael Jaross 676-9214 home 483-9754 cell