There is a swarm of bees on my property — what should I do?

Which of the two things is it

1. 1A swarmA cluster of bees hanging on a branch, fence or wall, often the size of a rugby ball, arriving suddenly and usually gone within a day or two. These bees have no nest, no stores and nothing to defend, which is why swarms are typically docile. They are a colony in transit looking for a cavity.
2. 2An established nestBees flying steadily in and out of a fixed gap — a soffit, an airbrick, a chimney, a cavity wall — over weeks. There is comb, brood and honey inside. This is not a swarm, cannot be scooped into a box, and removing it means opening the structure.
3. 3Not honey bees at allMost 'bee' calls are wasps, and many are bumblebees or solitary bees. Bumblebee nests are small, last one season and die out on their own. Solitary bees in mortar or lawns do no structural damage and need nothing done.

What to do about each

• Swarm in the open: contact a local beekeeping association. Many maintain a swarm-collection list and collect free, because a swarm is a colony worth having. Keep people and pets back and leave it alone until they arrive.
• Established nest in a structure: this is a removal job, and honey bees left in a wall can leave comb and honey that attracts other pests. A beekeeper who does cut-outs or a pest professional experienced with bees is the right call; a general pest controller may simply spray, which is the outcome to avoid.
• Bumblebees or solitary bees: almost always leave them. The nest ends by itself and the bees are not aggressive.
• Anyone in the household with a known sting allergy: treat any of the above as a reason to keep clear and get help rather than investigate.

Why this page does not tell you who to call

Because it changes by country and often by county. Swarm-collection lists are run by national and local beekeeping associations, and in some places local authorities keep them. HoneyHQ deliberately gives the shape of the problem — which thing you have, and what each needs — rather than a directory that would be wrong somewhere and out of date everywhere.