How do you get on the swarm list?

[MickBBKA]

I'm not sure I want to go on the swarm list as it sounds like it can be a bit stressful, but how do you get on it?
Do you have to do a course in collecting swarms beforehand?

Our local Association require that you have done the basic and follow the BBKA regs.
Collecting swarms can be great fun and a curse at the same time. One weekend I had over 160 calls in 2 days about bumble bees from residents whose local council just told everyone to call me. You will get begging, pleading, threatening and abusive calls. My children will die, my dog will get stung, my wife will leave me What ! why can't you come right now ?? Don't forget to tell them you are doing this free of charge as the BBKA seem to think we are all retired old beekeepers with nothing better to do than travel miles, spend half a day collecting a swarm to go home and then come back out at night to collect the box out of the good will of our hearts. Then your reward is a swarmy set of genes in your apiary, possibly disease and the cost of a new hive, frames and foundation.
I think you should go for it

[Alfred]

Sometimes you get the feeling you were called because no one else would do the job.
Odd that.

The language can quickly be translated
" I don't want them to come to any harm"( I dont give a monkey's- just get rid of them.You don't charge do you?)
"Why do they swarm? "( I dont give a monkey's- just get rid of them.You don't charge do you?)
"They are truly fascinating creatures aren't they?""( I dont give a .......)

[DianeBees]

I'd only ever had one person be rude to me. An American. She told me that if she was in America someone would have come and removed the bird box from above her shed door now so that she could enjoy her BBQ in peace that she had planned.

Another person rang me up and I identified the issue and explained she didn't need a beekeeper. So she rang someone else on the list. That person happened to be sat in my kitchen with me, so she was told "the previous beekeeper you've spoken to has said no".

I always suggest people with bumblebees write in their diary to sort the hole out that they've used in the autumn. I encourage them to ring me back if the bumblebees are still there in a few weeks. They never do, as the bees are all gone then.

I had a lovely conversation with a lady about bees in a birdbox. Which would normally always be bumblebees. She said something that made me keep chatting and then she said about the ball of bees sat in the hedge at the back of the gardens. Turns out the birdbox was massive and it was honeybees.

[AdamD]

I once had a question about a bird box and bees - it happened to be a former work colleague and I though he was pulling my leg. However, it happened to be a Little Owl box, which was large enough to house a swarm!