Swarmkeeper
The #1 free honeybee swarm app for clubs and independent beekeepers.
Looking to report a swarm?
Visit reporthoneybees.com to report a swarm
FOR BEEKEEPERS
Download the free app to receive free local swarms!
Swarmkeeper is the free swarm-alert and swarm-management app from The Honey Bee Society. When someone reports a honey bee swarm near you, the nearest available beekeepers get pinged instantly, so the bees get collected instead of exterminated, and no one's stuck running a phone tree. Built for beekeeping clubs. Just as handy if it's only you and a bee suit.
Your swarm calls, handled, automatically
How Swarmkeeper works, free swarm alerts in three steps
Step 1: Swarm gets reported
Anyone who spots a swarm reports it in under a minute at reporthoneybees.com no app needed for the public. Each report captures the location, the height off the ground, a photo, and a callback number.
Step 2: The right beekeepers get pinged
Swarmkeeper instantly sends a swarm alert to nearby beekeepers who match the report, based on each beekeeper's own distance, height, and location settings. The app even checks the photo to help confirm it's honey bees and not wasps or yellow jackets, so nobody chases dead-end calls.
Step 3: Someone claims it and goes!
The first available beekeeper taps to claim, gets the reporter's details and directions, and heads out for free bees. The bees are saved, the neighborhood's safer, and your club, or just you, handled it.
FOR CLUBS
A real home base for your whole beekeeping club
Swarmkeeper isn't just swarm alerts, it's a shared system that keeps your members on the same page all season.
Automatic swarm dispatch
Reports route to your nearest available members on their own. No phone tree, no inbox to watch, no one stuck playing dispatcher.
A shared club feed & map
Everyone sees what the club is catching in real time: who claimed what, where, and how quickly. It turns a list of solo beekeepers into an actual team.
Simple roster & admin tools
Add or remove members, promote co-admins, and manage your roster right in the app. New members join in seconds with your club's invite code.
Tuned to each member
Every beekeeper sets their own range, swarm-height comfort, and notifications, so people are only pinged for swarms they'd actually take.
Free for clubs, built to run itself
There's almost nothing to maintain once you're set up. And because we're a nonprofit, it stays free, no per-member cost.
FOR INDIVIDUAL BEEKEEPERS
No club? You still get the swarm alerts, and the free bees.
You don't need a club to use Swarmkeeper. Download the free app, set your location and range, and you'll get a swarm alert whenever a honey bee swarm is reported near you. Claim the ones you want, skip the ones you don't.
If you're a first-year beekeeper or building out your apiary, this is the math that matters: a caught swarm is a free colony of local, survivor-stock bees, the same bees you'd otherwise pay $150 or more for as a package. One claimed swarm and the app has paid for itself, except it was already free.
Free local swarm alerts
Preferences tuned to your distance and the heights you're willing to retrieve from
Photos included with reports
Know before you go with reporter provided photos of the swarm and direct access to their location and phone number
One tap claiming, no website logins
Claim and contact with with the reporter's contact details and directions at your finger tips
Join or start a club anytime
There may already be a Swarmkeeper club near you, or invite a few friends and you're a team
Want more? Go PRO
Want a little extra? An optional Swarmkeeper Pro membership helps fund our nonprofit mission and unlocks INSTANT ACCESS TO EACH SWARM REPORT. Free users need to wait 5 minutes before claiming. PRO is always optional; the core app is free for everyone.
Built by beekeepers, for the bees
Swarmkeeper is made by The Honey Bee Society, a pollinator education and preservation nonprofit based in the Pacific Northwest. We built it because too many swarms were being sprayed when a local beekeeper would have gladly collected them, free swarm removal for the homeowner, free bees for the beekeeper. Every claimed swarm is a colony saved, a homeowner helped, and a beekeeper's lucky day. That's the whole point, and it's why the app is free.
Getting Started
Free for beekeepers.
Free for clubs.
Free for the bees.
Download the free swarm app, start catching swarms
Running a Club?
Get in touch and we can help set it up!
Frequently Asked Questions
-
No. Swarmkeeper works for individual beekeepers right out of the box. download the app, set your location and range, and you'll get free swarm alerts near you. Joining or starting a club adds the shared feed, map, and roster, but it's never required.
-
Install the free app, allow notifications, and set your location, maximum distance, and the swarm heights you're comfortable with. From then on, you're notified whenever a matching honey bee swarm is reported in your area.
-
Yes. The app is free for individual beekeepers and for clubs, with no per-member cost. We're a nonprofit; an optional Pro membership helps support us, but it's never required.
-
Three quick things to check: (1) allow notifications for Swarmkeeper in your phone settings, (2) make sure your location is set and your alert distance is wide enough to reach reported swarms, and (3) confirm your email is verified in the app. Our help center walks through each step with screenshots.
-
In the app, open your swarm preferences and set your location, your maximum distance, and the swarm height you're comfortable with. You'll only be notified about swarms that match.
-
Create your club in the app and share your club invite code. Members enter it to join, no spreadsheets, no manual adds, and admins can manage the roster anytime.
-
Swarmkeeper screens report photos to flag wasps and other look-alikes before you drive out, and you can rate reports so the system keeps improving. If something slips through, just mark it and move on.
-
Absolutely. Email us via the contact button above and we'll help migrate your list or form and get your club running.
How it Works, psst - it’s free
Community-Driven Reporting:
The public can easily report any bee swarm they spot using through the website https://reporthoneybees.com/. Each report captures critical information such as location, time, and height of the swarm from the ground.Instant Swarm Alerts:
Our app sends real-time notifications to beekeepers based on their preferences. Beekeepers signed up with the Swarmkeeper app receive a push notification and can instantly claim the swarm. With detailed alerts and precise location data, you’re always in the loop and ready to respond.Swift, Safe Bee Removal:
As a beekeeper, you can contact the reporter, plan your route and head off to get your free bees! This not only protects the bees but also enhances community safety.