Honey Bee Swarm Catchers List ( bee "rescuers")
See the LIST Below
Bees or Wasps? --check THIS PAGE first

Honey Bee Swarms

Generally a bee colony will send out a queen and bees to find a new home. This is their way of creating a new colony.

The bees will alight on a branch or other place for only a few hours or days. They then leave to a more sheltered permanent place such as a hollow tree, abandoned building, house soffit, and so on.

Paper Wasp Nest

Paper wasps form grayish papery nests, that start as small as a golf ball and can grow into very large nests, hanging from a branch, or under house eaves. In the winter they all die, except for the queen, which overwinters in mulch or the ground, and starts all over again in the spring.
* Please consult your local pest control company on how to deal with wasps.

Ground bees or WASPS

1)  If you have bees coming from the ground, they are not honey bees, as they only nest above ground.
In the spring, native bees will have numerous pencil width holes in the ground. These are fairly harmless. Please see this page (link) to learn more about them.

2) In the mid to late summer and fall, wasps have begun large colonies- see above photo. They have bright yellow on their bodies, which honey bees do not have.
* Please consult your local pest control company on how to deal with wasps.


2026 Swarm List – RochesterBeekeepers.com
 
For removal of honey bees inside a BUILDING ONLY:
Rochester 50 miles, 585-260-6860, Doug Streeter,  trap-outs, cut-outs
within 75 mile radius of Rochester,  585-404-5366, Taylor Hines, cut-outs


For removal of honey bee swarms (see photo above):

Area of coverage willing to travel,   Phone number ,    Name

Monroe & Livingston County
585-694-9127
Renae Rolland

Mendon, Honeoye falls, Pittsford, Henrietta
585-410-5795
Bud Langley

Penfield, Fairport, Victor up to 6'
585-267-6618
Deb Steere

western Monroe and eastern Orleans counties, up to 10'
239-292-3550
Scott Martin

Avon, Geneseo, Caledonia, Scottsville, Rush, Lima, Conesus, Honeoye; up to 12’ high
585-330-1568
Bryan Glotzbach

Penfield Webster area, up to 10'
207-272-8725
Susan Newton

Greece, Hilton, Irondequoit, Chili;  about 8’ or less
(585) 490-8914 
Matt Zodarecky

Pittsford, Mendon, Henrietta, Victor and surrounding areas
585-217-1132
David Mesmer

25 mile radius of Ontario, NY
585 280-0361
Mike Scozzari

Chili, Gates, Rochester, Webster , less than 6'
585-245-1563
Mary Randall

Scottsville, Henrietta, Churchville, Rush, Lima, Caledonia, Avon: up to 8’ high
585-754-2764
Cat Ashworth

Churchville, Chili, Bergen, Rochester area
585-489-9321
Tarik Ozkaynak

30 mile radius from LeRoy
585-233-2126
Don Seames

30 mile radius from Brockport or Le Roy
(585) 993-0925
Lucas Hull

30 mile radius from Brockport or Le Roy
585-993-6141
Charlie Hull 

Rush, Honeoye Falls, Henrietta, Lima, Avon ; up to 8'
585 764-7570
Audrey Seibert

Eastern Monroe, Northeast Wayne County, Brighton up to 6’ high
585-820-6619
Pat Bono



A youtube video taken by a homeowner with a bee swarm outside his front door!

Bee swarm season is upon us. Beekeepers are desperately seeking honey bees to replace bees that may have died during the last cold Winter. VOLUNTEER beekeepers are prepared to collect or remove swarms
FREE OF CHARGE.
  • 1) If you see a bee swarm, contact a beekeeper immediately (LIST BELOW), either through the Rochester Beekeepers 585-820-6619 there are lists of beekeepers on their "swarm list", as does the
  • Monroe County Master Gardener Helpline 585-753-2550
  •  2) Do not spray with pesticides or water, as this may kill the Queen and other bees.
  •  3) A fresh bee swarm usually will not sting as they are concerned with moving to a new home.
  •  4) If possible, please tell the beekeeper:
  •                                                                                     a) how high the swarm is, what is it on?
  •                                                                                     b) How long has it been there?
  •                                                                                     c) How big is it? basketball size, watermelon size?
  •                                                                                      d) Have you called other beekeepers?
  •  5) Once you have called a beekeeper to capture the swarm, please notify them immediately if the swarm has left.        

  •    NOTE: Those volunteering to assist the general public in the capture of honey bee swarms are responsible for all activities related to any capture and collection, including any communications with the general public that may be involved. "Rochester Beekeepers" assumes no responsibility related to the capture and collection activity.