A kinder route from “what do I do?” to “it's gone.”
ReportSwarm is a free service that connects people who have spotted a honey bee swarm with local beekeepers who can collect and rehome it. No pest control, no panic — just a quick handover to someone trained and nearby.
Why ReportSwarm exists
Every spring, tens of thousands of honey bee swarms appear in UK gardens, parks and high streets. Most are gentle, short-lived, and easy to collect — if someone knows who to call. Too often, people reach for pest control, or the swarm moves on and finds shelter somewhere much harder to recover.
We built ReportSwarm to close that gap. It started as a simple handover between a few beekeeping associations and has grown into a UK-wide network, powered by SwarmBase, the directory that matches reports to local collectors.
The goal is simple: anyone who spots a swarm should be able to pull out their phone, report it, and have a real local beekeeper on the way within a few hours — at no cost to either side.
Three things we try to get right
Good for bees
Every swarm collected is a colony saved — and a community that keeps its pollinators.
Good for neighbours
A swarm in a playground or shopfront is alarming. A beekeeper can have it gone in an hour.
Good for the craft
Free swarm collection is how new beekeepers build their hives. We make it easier.
Collect swarms where you live.
If you keep bees and are willing to collect swarms, SwarmBase will route nearby reports to you. You choose the radius, decide when you're available, and only hear about swarms close enough to be worth a trip.
What collectors get
- Reports routed by postcode — only swarms near you
- Photo and exact location before you set off
- Direct contact with the reporter — no middle-man
- Free to join, free to use, no quotas
Seen a swarm? A beekeeper is probably nearby.
Reporting is free and takes under a minute. A local collector will be in touch.