Swarm lists by state
North Carolina
North Carolina has an active statewide beekeeping network through the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association and a county-based state apiary inspection system through NCDA&CS. For swarm help, the most official statewide starting point is NCSBA’s swarm page, which directs residents to local chapters that handle county-level removals.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Swarm or bee removal list
- Official page →
- State beekeepers association
- North Carolina State Beekeepers Association
- Typical swarm season
- March to July
- Africanized honey bees
- not established
Official resources in North Carolina
Official NCSBA page for residents who found a honey bee swarm; it explains what to do and links to local chapters.
Official chapter locator/listing for finding a nearby county or regional beekeeping association in North Carolina.
Official state apiary program page covering inspections, registration, bee sales information, and related apiary services.
Official county-by-county apiary inspector coverage page with assigned work areas across North Carolina.
Official state page on North Carolina’s response planning and public information for Africanized honey bees.
Key facts for North Carolina
- NCSBA says honey bee swarming in North Carolina occurs most often from March through July.
- NCSBA says it has over 80 chapters with members in nearly every North Carolina county.
- NCDA&CS posts six apiary inspector work areas that collectively cover all North Carolina counties.
- NCDA&CS apiary registration is for notification of aerial pesticide applications toxic to bees within one mile of a registered apiary.
- NC State Extension says Africanized honey bees have not yet become established in North Carolina.
- NC State Extension says two Africanized swarms were found and destroyed at Morehead City and Wilmington ports in 1989 and 1991.
What to do next
- If you find a cluster of honey bees, do not spray or disturb it; use the NCSBA swarm page to locate a nearby chapter quickly.
- If you keep bees, check your county’s assigned NCDA&CS apiary inspector and use the state apiary program for inspections or registration questions.
- If the bees are inside a wall, soffit, or other structure, ask a beekeeper or qualified remover about full colony removal rather than spraying.
Helpful guides
- What to do when you see a honey bee swarm
- A swarm vs. an established hive: why it matters
- Honey bees, wasps or yellowjackets? How to tell
- Bee cutout and hive removal cost