A swarm is reported
A member of the public submits the location, approximate height, a photo, and contact details through the swarm report form.
For beekeepers
Set your swarm preferences. Get alerts that fit.
Swarmkeeper is The Honey Bee Society's free swarm-alert and swarm-management app for independent beekeepers and clubs. Choose your distance and height preferences, then respond to matching reports.
A simple three-step flow
How a report reaches a beekeeper
Matching beekeepers are alerted
Alerts use each beekeeper's saved distance, location, and height preferences.
A beekeeper can claim the report
An available beekeeper can review the report, claim it, and coordinate with the reporter.
For clubs and individuals
Use Swarmkeeper on your own or with a club
Independent beekeepers
Set your own alert range and swarm-height preferences. Claim the reports that fit your availability.
Beekeeping clubs
Create a shared club, invite members, and use a common feed and map to coordinate reports.
Optional Pro membership
The core app remains free. An optional Pro membership supports the nonprofit and provides earlier access to each report.
Quick answers
Swarmkeeper questions
Do I need to join a club?
No. Independent beekeepers can set their own location, distance, height preferences, and alerts. Joining a club adds shared coordination features but is not required.
How do I receive nearby alerts?
Install the app, allow notifications, and set your location, maximum distance, and the swarm heights you are prepared to reach.
What if alerts are not arriving?
Check that phone notifications are enabled, your location and alert distance are set, and your email is verified in the app.
How do club members join?
Create the club in Swarmkeeper and share its invite code. Members use that code to join the shared club workspace.
Download Swarmkeeper
Install the app, choose your preferences, and turn on notifications to begin receiving matching swarm alerts.
Looking to report a swarm instead?
The public does not need Swarmkeeper or an account. Use the swarm report form to send the location and a safe-distance photo.
Weighing up your options?
Association swarm lists, club group chats, and alert networks all get swarm calls to beekeepers in different ways, each with real trade-offs. We wrote up how the routes compare, including where Swarmkeeper is not the only one doing something.