Union County NC Beekeepers Association
What is a Swarm?
Swarms are natural and common. Bees in a swarm are usually very calm. You are typically not in any danger as long as you do not disturb and keep a reasonable distance from bees. Honey bees are our friends; they are our partners in agriculture and the environment and help provide 33% of what we eat daily.
For a beekeeper to catch a swarm, the swarm must be in a dense, landed state and perched on some surface. This will appear to be a giant ball of bees tightly knitted together. Swarms are often mistakenly reported when none is present or are mistaken as yellow jackets. Swarms move quickly; the opportunity is lost if beekeepers chase a false swarm call. Please review the material below to assess whether you have a honey bee swarm.
Identifying a Honeybee Swarm
Spot the Swarm: Your Visual Guide
One easy way to tell a bee from a wasp is the presence of hair; honeybees have hair. The hair on a bee helps with pollination from one flower to the next. A wasp will be very shiny and is usually skinnier than a bee. When swarming, honey bees will not just be 20 or 100 bees but can be upwards of 30,000! When they are moving from tree to tree, it can be described as a "tornado" of bees. When they have landed, it looks almost like a size of flat basketball laying over a tree branch and can be described as a "ball of bees." Honey bees are generally more orange than yellow, like the yellow jackets (see the image below for yellow jacket vs honey bee). One way to tell the difference is by looking at the legs. Yellow jackets have yellow legs, and honey bees have brown legs.
Honey Bee Swarm
Yellow Jacket
Honey Bee
Bumble Bee
What to Do
Swarm Sighted? Here's Your Action Plan
Stay Calm
Swarming bees are generally not aggressive. They're focused on finding a new home, not on defending territory.
Keep Your Distance
Observe the swarm from afar. Do not disturb or attempt to move the bees yourself.
Contact a Local Beekeeper
Contact a beekeeper from our list below. They have the experience and equipment to manage the swarm safely.
Don't Attempt DIY Removal
Unless you're an experienced beekeeper, leave swarm removal to the professionals. It's safer for both you and the bees.
Never Spray or Harm the Bees
Do not attempt to kill or spray the swarm. While they appear calm, bees will defend themselves if threatened, potentially leading to attacks. Beekeepers can quickly identify if bees have been sprayed, complicating safe removal.
Be Patient
If the swarm is on your property, you're not obligated to have it removed immediately. Swarms often move on within a few days if left undisturbed.
Swarm Removal in Union County
Find a Local Beekeeper Quickly
To help you locate a swarm rescuer efficiently, Union County is divided into 9 retrieval zones. Each rescuer has a primary zone and may also serve additional zones.
How to use this map:
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Identify the zone number where you've spotted the swarm using the map above.
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Refer to our list of swarm rescuers below to find beekeepers who serve your zone.
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Contact rescuers in your zone first, then expand to neighboring zones if needed.
Remember: Rescuers are volunteers and may not always be available. If you can't reach someone in your immediate zone, try contacting rescuers in adjacent zones.
Beekeeper List
Contact one the following UCNCBA members to relocate the bees, please refer to map above to find the primary zone of the beekeeper and call them first
Beekeeper Name | Phone | Email | Swarm Removals | Structure Removals | Max Height | Service Zones | Primary Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erich Karch | (704)-304-0444 | erich.karch@defiancehillfarms.com | Yes | Yes | 15 feet | 3,6,9 | 6 |
Laura Varela | (810) 922-9012 | rcrageek@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | 20 feet | 5,6,7,8 | 8 |
Thomas Townsend | (704) 438-1413 | tmtcontractor@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | All | All | |
Trish Thompson | (704) 993-6805 | pollenpeddlers@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | 15 feet | All | All |
Warren Simpson | (704) 534-1866 | warrensimpson@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | 15 feet | All | |
Anthony Prudhomme | (704) 221-7835 | aprud1227@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | 30 feet | All | 5 |
William Powers | (704) 232-0076 | beepowers@windstream.net | Yes | Yes | 20 feet | All | Waxhaw |
Kevin Philemon | (704) 289-7775 | fireman2117nc@yahoo.com | Yes | Yes | 30 feet | All | 5 |
Robert Parker | (704) 724-9192 | sfcraparker@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | Any | All | All |
Shawn Lake | (704) 941-1867 | slake1962@hotmail.com | Yes | Yes | 25 feet | 4,7 | 4 |
Sydney Johnsen | (704) 993-0638 | sydjohnsen@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | 15 feet | 4,5,7,8 | 7 |
George Hunnicutt | (704) 609-4788 | gchunnicutt@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | 1,2,4,5 | 2 | |
Ed Graydon | (703) 625-1849 | edgraydon614@gmail.com | Yes | Yes | 10 feet | 1,4 | 4 |
Herman Fisher | (704) 221-2425 | hrfish62@yahoo.com | Yes | Yes | 8 feet | 6,8,9 | 8 |
DC Chumley | (704) 701-5292 | dc.chumley@live.com | Yes | Yes | 10 feet | 4,5,7,8 | 8 |
Ann Calandro | (704) 607-0367 | acalandro@carolina.rr.com | Yes | Yes | 8 feet | 1,4,5,7,8 | 4,5 |
Frank Bradshaw | (843) 708-0729 | (843) 708-0729 | Yes | Yes | 12 feet | 1,2,4,7 | 1 |
Chelsea Autry | (704) 219-1514 | autryrepair@yahoo.com | Yes | Yes | 10 feet | 5-9 | 8 |