Sign up for the EMBA's Swarm List
Hey Members! Hit the Link below to sign up to be included on our Swarm + Cut Out List for 2025. You must be a member and logged in to sign up.
I need help!
Whether you need a swarm removed or have a cut-out situation, we have resources to help! Be prepared to provide detailed information about the swarm or hive on your property. The collector will need to know where the bees are located, how high off the ground and photos are a huge help to understand the situation. We only collect honey bees, no wasps or yellow jackets, please!
I need bees removed
Click above for a list of EMBA members who remove bees from buildings + structures.
New Beekeepers
Caught your first swarm + have questions? Email or call us for help at 314-451-BEEK.
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What is a swarm?
A swarm is a unit of bees containing one queen and about 10,000 worker bees. After the swarm leaves the home colony, it flies to a nearby tree, bush, fencepost, streetlight, etc, and clusters in a ball, hanging from their resting place. The cluster is homeless; its’ main challenge is to find a new place to live, like a tree cavity, or a hole in another structure. While clustered, the bees engage in a fascinating, democratic decision-making process to choose from one of the many potential home sites that the scout bees have located from miles around.
Learn more about Swarms
NPR did a great short segment on this process, which you can listen to here. Honey bees in a swarm are gentle. If left undisturbed, a swarm will locate to new quarters within a period as short as a few hours or as long as a few days. When they find a new home, they’ll disappear from your property as quickly as they appeared.
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Responding to a Swarm
If you see a swarm, please contact a Beekeeper to remove the swarm without harming the bees, and relocate them to a better location where they won’t be in conflict with humans. You will also need a Beekeeper to remove unwanted bees from a building or structure.
Swarm Behavior
For more information about honey bee swarms and honey bee behavior, see Dr. Tom Seeley’s enthralling videos, produced for NPR’s Science Friday by Carl Flatow.
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ABOUT EMBA
Located in St. Louis, Missouri, the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association (EMBA) is a volunteer-based organization that trains beginning and advanced beekeepers, promotes beekeeping within the region; and provides networking opportunities for beekeepers, old and new. Educating beekeepers for the last 86 years!
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Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association.