Inside the Hive with Mateo from Swarmed
- HiveTracks
- Apr 7
- 4 min read
We sat down with beekeeper Mateo Kaiser to talk swarms, beekeeping, and the story behind Swarmed—the global app helping beekeepers track swarms in real time. From chasing bees to becoming a Certified Master Beekeeper, here’s how Mateo turned his passion into innovation.
Every Beekeeper Has a Story — What's Yours?
I got into beekeeping kind of by accident. I’d been reading and watching videos, getting ready to start, but hadn’t taken the plunge. Then a neighbor called. A big swarm had landed in their yard. I caught it, somehow, in a cardboard box and brought it home to my newly set up hive box. That first experience stuck with me.
Like most beekeepers, I love catching swarms. But finding them used to be a mess. I would refresh Nextdoor, scroll Facebook, and keep my phone close, waiting. Usually, by the time I heard about a swarm, it was already gone. Meanwhile, people who spotted swarms did not know who to call. Local swarm lists were just spreadsheets of names and numbers, often out of date. You would call down the list, hoping someone picked up. Beekeepers got spammed. The public got stuck playing phone tag.
That’s what got me thinking about building what would become Swarmed, a community tool for real-time, location-based swarm alerts. When someone sees a swarm, they fill out a short form. It collects what beekeepers actually need. Location, height, placement, photo, etc. Beekeepers nearby get a ping, and the first beekeeper to claim the swarm gets the exact location and contact details.
Swarmed is up and running worldwide and growing fast. Thousands of beekeepers are signed up and are, in turn, responding to thousands of swarm reports.
On top of swarm alerts, Swarmed is helping build a clearer picture of where and when swarms occur. Hundreds of thousands happen every year, but they’ve always been difficult to track.
This spring, we’re rolling out a new dashboard. It includes a live swarm map, hotspot heatmaps, and daily swarm likelihood predictions based on weather, bloom timing, and past activity.
Swarms are one of the best ways to get strong, locally adapted bees. Especially now, with high colony losses and expensive packaged bees. Swarms are free. They are resilient. And they usually come from thriving colonies.Â
Since that first swarm in a cardboard box, I’ve kept going. Learned a lot. Made mistakes. Got better. I became a Master Beekeeper and continued learning about the complexities of swarm behavior.
Swarmed started as a simple tool to solve a recurring problem. It’s grown because beekeepers saw value in it and helped shape it. I’m really glad to be able to contribute this tool to the community, and I’m looking forward to another season of chasing swarms and helping others do the same.
6 Rapid-Fire Swarm Questions with Mateo from Swarmed
What are the biggest mistakes beekeepers make when trying to prevent swarming?
Waiting too long or thinking inspections alone are enough. Once swarm cells appear, the hive has usually already committed, and destroying them only risks leaving the hive queenless after it swarms. By giving growing colonies enough space at the right time and making splits, we can stay ahead of the bees and prevent swarming.Â
We talk a lot about swarming prevention and management, but are there cases where beekeepers encourage swarming in their hives?
Allowing a colony to swarm or making a split can actually help keep varroa mites in check. When a colony swarms, it creates a natural break in the brood cycle. There is a gap before the new queen starts laying, which means fewer brood cells for mites to reproduce in. That pause can help to reduce mite pressure.
Do swarms always survive in the wild? What are their chances?
No, and the odds are not great. In Honeybee Democracy, my favorite book on swarming, Dr. Seeley shares research suggesting that only about one in four swarms survive without beekeeper intervention. Weather, mites, poor cavity availability, and pesticide exposure all make it a tough start. Data suggests that catching and managing a swarm can roughly double its chances of survival compared to leaving it in the wild.
As a new beekeeper what’s your advice for removing a swarm—jump in or call someone out the first time to help?
If it’s low, calm, and accessible, and you’ve done your research, I’d say give it a go. Wear a veil, be methodical, and stay calm. But if it’s high up, if you’re unsure, or if something feels off, call someone. I think most beekeepers are happy to share their knowledge. I’ve actually heard of beekeepers reporting swarms on Swarmed as a way of recruiting another beekeeper to help them out.
How do weather and nectar flows impact swarming behavior?
They are major triggers, and we’ve been working to build this into our swarm prediction models. A stretch of warm days after rain can set off a burst of swarming. Strong nectar flows build population and give the colony the resources to cast off a swarm. Drought or cold can delay it, but only for so long. A lot of different factors come together, but experienced beekeepers, and soon our model, are usually able to predict when swarms might happen.
Best piece of beekeeping advice you’d like to share?
Get an extension pole. Most swarms don’t land in a convenient spot, and getting a ladder into a tree’s dense foliage can be tricky. With a pole and a bucket or a cloth catching bag you can cinch shut with a string, you stay on the ground and still reach them. It is safer, easier, and way more effective than hauling out a ladder. I found a cheap cloth swarm-catching mechanism that I bolted onto a long painters' pole that has worked like a charm in lots of different situations.