West Seattle Blog…

Happening now: Pathfinder K-8 teacher Lou Cutler’s 10th annual birthday run for Make-A-Wish

One of the most joyful annual fundraisers in West Seattle is happening right now on the playfield at Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point. Today marks the 10th time Pathfinder PE teacher Lou Cutler has, in honor of his upcoming birthday, run one lap for each year of his age.

Today, that means 62 laps with Lou, who does not run alone – Pathfinder students and staff join him on the field too, and track the laps (above); students track their own laps too:

This is a fundraiser for the regional branch of Make-A-Wish, for which Lou has volunteered more than a decade (we talked to him about it in-depth before his birthday run in 2011), helping make dreams come true for children living with life-threatening medical conditions. Lou started around 8:45 this morning and hit the halfway point while we were there an hour ago, so he likely has less than an hour to go. You can cheer him on, wherever you are, with an online pledge via his Make-A-Wish page.

Happening now: Selling plants to help pets via Furry Faces

At the time of last year’s Furry Faces Foundation plant sale, F3 leader and plant-raiser Teri Ensley‘s house still had damage to fix from a fire a few months earlier. Now – as the 2013 plant sale begins – Teri is back in her house after rehab and repairs by Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor), work she is so proud of that she’s even incorporated Ventana’s name into the plant sale:

The shelving holding plants on the south side of Teri’s house is dubbed “Ventana Terrace” now, signage and all. Today is the first of four days of the sale – till 4 pm, then again tomorrow 10 am-4 pm, and the weekend of June 1-2, 3809 46th SW. It all started with more than 1,000 plants on “Ventana Terrace” and in the front yard, including herbs, perennials, annuals, vegetables, more – and the F3 “Tag Your Pet” campaign is happening there; read about it all in this WSB Forums post.

Happening now: Graffiti-paintout volunteers in action

We found Ann Martin at 16th and Barton – one of the graffiti/tagging-beset spots that local volunteers are tackling right now with the graffiti-paintout project that set out after gathering at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center this morning:

This is just the first in a series of events – so if you weren’t able to help today, there’ll be other chances – e-mail Youngstown’s David Bestock to get in the loop – david@youngstownarts.org.

Two ways you can make a big difference today

Before we get to the big list of what’s up today, one more reminder of two community projects in which your participation, giving just a little time, can make a big difference – one starting this morning, one this afternoon:

PAINT IT OUT: A new graffiti-fighting effort gets going today and volunteer power is vital. Meet at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 10 am. Here’s our preview with more details. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

‘PRESTO GARDEN’: Also previewed here earlier in the week, this Sustainable West Seattle-led project will create a garden growing fresh food for people served by the White Center Food Bank. Today from 1 pm to 5 pm, they would love your help at the planting party for the garden, which is at Westcrest Park. (From the park entrance at 8th and Henderson, head up the road to the right to the parking area; you’ll find the garden in the P-Patch next to the play area at the top of the hill.)

West Seattle generosity roundup: Last call for GiveBIG, Taste tickets; tallies for WSHS music, WS Food Bank benefits

GIVEBIG 2013, FINAL HOUR: You have till midnight to give to participating nonprofits and have your money go farther because of the Seattle Foundation‘s “stretch” – here one more time is our list of West Seattle, White Center, and South Park participants, and their special GiveBIG donation links. At midnight, this donate-a-thon is over until next year.

TASTE OF WEST SEATTLE: Last few hours to buy tickets online to enjoy your favorite West Seattle/White Center food/drink places – current favorites and future favorites – all in ONE place, tomorrow (Thursday) night. The Taste of West Seattle brings them all together at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), on behalf of West Seattle Helpline, which helps people who find themselves in need of emergency assistance. Get your ticket(s) here.

WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC BENEFIT: Tuesday night, as previewed here, Abbondanza Pizzeria and volunteers from the Rotary Club of West Seattle teamed up for a dining-out benefit on behalf of the West Seattle High School music program. Tonight, Rotary member Sue Lindblom from Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) tells us it was a busy, busy night, raising $900 for WSHS music!

WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK GALA: The final tally is in for this year’s recent Instruments of Change – almost $100,000, the Food Bank reports, with 200 guests there for auction bidding, dining, and inspirational speeches.

Lou’s on the run again! Next Monday at Pathfinder K-8

(WSB video from the end of Lou’s run last year)
This year, Pathfinder K-8 teacher Lou Cutler turns 62 – and for Lou, that number carries extra meaning: It means he’ll travel 62 laps around the school playfield to raise money for Make-A-Wish, for which he’s been volunteering since way back in his forties. He doesn’t do it alone – hundreds of Pathfinder students and staffers join him along the way. And they’re all gearing up for next Monday (May 20th), when Lou is scheduled to start his 62 laps around 8:45 am. You can pledge/donate now by going here – and read on to see the official announcement from Make-A-Wish:

Click to read the rest of Lou’s on the run again! Next Monday at Pathfinder K-8…

GiveBIG one-day donate-a-thon: 2013 list of local participants

Again this year, dozens of local nonprofits are participating in today’s GiveBIG one-day donation drive coordinated by the Seattle Foundation. The money you give to any or all of the participating nonprofits helps them be eligible for a “stretch pool” of partial matching funds, to be distributed proportionately depending on how much each participating nonprofit raises during GiveBIG, by 11:59 pm tonight. The BIG catch: You **must** donate through the special pages that participants have on the foundation’s website, NOT via theirs own websites. So again this year, we have made a list of all those special pages for participating West Seattle, White Center, and South Park-based or -founded nonprofits (and a couple parent organizations). The special links take you to pages on the Seattle Foundation website with background information and links to the organizations’ own sites, as well as the donation links to use for this one-day event. (P.S. Please let us know if we missed a WS, WC, or SP-based organization – post a comment or e-mail us ASAP at editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!)

ART FOR ANIMALS’ SAKE – go here

ARTS CORPS – go here

ARTSWEST – go here

COOLMOM – go here

DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION – go here

DENNY-SEALTH PERFORMING ARTS – go here

DUWAMISH RIVER CLEANUP COALITION/TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP- go here

ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION OF SOUTH SEATTLE – go here

FRIENDS OF SEALTH – IB SCHOLARSHIP FUND- go here

HIGHLINE MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION – go here

HIGHLINE SCHOOLS FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE – go here

INVEST IN YOUTH – go here

KILLER WHALE TALES – go here

KING COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM FOUNDATION – go here

KOL HANESHAMAH – go here

LUNGEVITY FOUNDATION – go here (offering a cupcake incentive for donations over $40)

MARRA FARM COALITION – go here

MULTI-COMMUNITIES - go here.

NATURE CONSORTIUM – go here

NAVOS – go here

NEIGHBORHOOD FARMERS MARKETS – go here

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE – go here

NONFICTION MEDIA- go here

NORTHWEST CENTER – go here

NORTHWEST HOPE AND HEALING – go here

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE SCHOOL – go here

PLUMBERS WITHOUT BORDERS – go here

PONGO PUBLISHING – go here

PROVIDENCE MOUNT ST. VINCENT FOUNDATION – go here

PUGET SOUNDKEEPER ALLIANCE – go here

SAFE FUTURES YOUTH CENTER – go here

SEAL SITTERS - This is an unusual path; you need to go to the Associated Recreational Council GiveBIG page, click donate, and then in COMMENTS, write Seal Sitters – ARC is its fiscal sponsor

SEA MAR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS – go here

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN SOCIETY – go here

SEATTLE PARKS FOUNDATION – go here

SEATTLE POLICE FOUNDATION – go here

SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION – go here

SEATTLE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS – go here

SENIOR SERVICES – go here

SOUTH PARK AREA REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – go here

SOUTH PARK INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CENTER – go here

SOUTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION – go here

SOUTHWEST SEATTLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY – go here

SOUTHWEST YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES – go here

SPORTS IN SCHOOLS – go here

TECHNOLOGY ACCESS FOUNDATION – go here

THE ANUNNAKI PROJECT – go here

THE SALVATION ARMY – KING COUNTY – go here

THE SERVICE BOARD – go here

THE VILLAGE OF HOPE – go here

THE WHALE TRAIL – go here

TRANSITIONAL RESOURCES – go here

TWELFTH NIGHT PRODUCTIONS – go here

WEST SEATTLE FOOD BANK – go here

WEST SEATTLE HELPLINE – go here

WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION ASSOCIATION – go here

WESTSIDE BABY – go here

WESTSIDE SCHOOL – go here

WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION – go here

WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK – go here – and note, again this year, WCFB has added events on GiveBIG day, including a portion of proceeds donated this morning if you have breakfast at Meander’s Kitchen, and tonight if you dine at Proletariat Pizza, Zippy’s Giant Burgers, or Company in WC. Caffé Delia (WSB sponsor) and Dubsea Coffee also will have “donation stations” set up in the morning.

WHIT PRESS – go here

YES FOUNDATION OF WHITE CENTER – go here

YMCA OF GREATER SEATTLE – go here

YOUTH MEDIA INSTITUTE – go here

YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION NETWORK – go here

YWCA OF SEATTLE-KING COUNTY – go here

Fight graffiti vandalism: Join local cleanup this Saturday

Graffiti/tagging vandals strike anywhere and everywhere – the photo above is a blurred version of a defaced wall back in 2009 at a local school that was getting hit over and over again. Parents fought back there. Wherever you are, you can challenge this kind of vandalism – as long as there’s help. That’s where you come in. You can join a community cleanup this Saturday to paint out graffiti/tagging vandalism in the Delridge area (and if you don’t feel like painting, trash-pickup help is needed in the area too). Meet at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW, at 10 am Saturday (May 18th). This is the start of a graffiti-fighting campaign that organizers expect will also eventually include mural-painting to protect and beautify targeted areas. Questions? Contact David Bestock at Youngstown, david@youngstownarts.org or 206-935-2999.

West Seattle 5K this Sunday: Register online by tomorrow!

The Walking on Logs sculpture by the pullout near the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge is decked out in advance of the fifth annual West Seattle 5K, coming up this Sunday (May 19th). Thanks to race director Jeff Mensing for the photo! Three timeline points ahead for WS5K, which is organized by and benefits the West Seattle High School PTSA in its work to help the school and its students:

ONLINE REGISTRATION ENDS TOMORROW: You can sign up until Wednesday at westseattle5k.com.

PACKET PICKUP/IN-PERSON REGISTRATION SATURDAY: Noon-6 pm (May 18th) at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) at California/Charlestown.

RACE DAY SUNDAY: The race starts just after 9 am. Alki and Harbor Avenues will be closed along the usual WS5K footprint, to Don Armeni; then most of the waterfront roadway will reopen around 11, except for the stretch that will be closed until 5 pm for the Alki edition of Seattle Summer Streets (aka “car-free day”), 56th to 63rd. Here’s the map:

WSB is co-sponsoring West Seattle 5K again this year as we have since the start, and will be an on-site participant in Summer Streets, which features some big fun this year highlighted by the Alki Beach Creeps’ Costumed Bike Parade at 1 pm – see you there!

Got room for a student visiting West Seattle from afar?

From Pathfinder K-8 assistant principal Lisa Clayton:

Looking for an amazing summer adventure? Host a 5th/6th grade student from China. West Seattle will have a visit from 25 students from Chengdu, China and as the date is approaching fast, we are still in great need of host families. Students will arrive July 3rd and departure is set for July 14th. During the weekdays students will attend summer-camp classes at Pathfinder K-8 School, and on the weekends they are ready to play. All you need to be a host family is a desire to enrich your lives – and an extra bed.

To find out more, e-mail Clayton at lclayton@seattleschools.org.

Sustainable West Seattle to debut new garden next weekend, growing food to feed those in need

A day before the West Seattle Bee Garden debuts with a celebration in High Point next Sunday, another new local community garden will debut in Highland Park on Saturday – a section of the new Westcrest Park P-Patch dedicated to growing food for the White Center Food Bank. The “Presto Garden” project is being led by Sustainable West Seattle, incorporating donations from local businesses and organizations listed in this update on the SWS website. Here’s where you come in: Many hands, light work. Be there on Saturday (May 18th) 1-5 pm for the planting party that will help make it happen. Westcrest is at 9000 8th SW (for those not familiar with the park, we’re tracking down specific directions to the planting site, and will add them here).

Dine out Tuesday to help West Seattle High School music

It’s been a big year for West Seattle High School‘s music program, especially the marching band, with two downtown parade appearances including St. Patrick’s Day, as shown in our video above. This Tuesday, you can help the program keep growing by having dinner at Abbondanza in Morgan Junction. WSHS’s first-year music teacher Ethan Thomas explains:

The West Seattle Rotary Club is hosting a dinner fundraiser at Abbondanza Pizzeria (6503 California Ave SW) to support the music program at WSHS.

Abbondanza will be donating 10% of their proceeds and Rotary Club volunteers will be waiting tables and donating their tips.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 14th, and come out and support our young musicians. The restaurant will be open from 5-9 pm.

West Seattle Bee Garden: 1 week till the festival! What’s ahead – and how to help

(Saturday photo courtesy West Seattle Bee Garden)
One year in the making, and one week remaining until the celebration of the new West Seattle Bee Garden, at next Sunday’s WS Bee Festival (May 19th). This weekend, writes Lauren Englund - whose dream, reported here in May 2012, started it all – the beehive enclosure is being finished, and you are welcome at a Sunday work party (starting at 10 am). And after that, it’s festival preparations. From Lauren:

For those who may not know, the High Point Neighborhood Association is hosting the West Seattle Bee Festival next Sunday, May 19th, to celebrate the opening of this space. It will include a picnic and parade! Here are some of the details:

Picnic Time: 11 am to 3 pm
Picnic Location: Commons Park at 31st Ave SW and SW Graham St
Parade Start: 11:30 am
Parade Start Location: West Seattle Elementary – 6760 34th Ave SW
Parade Route: North on 31st Ave SW from the WSE parking lot, across Morgan St, past the Bee Garden and into Commons Park. The total route is 0.5 miles.

Want to join the parade? Fantastic! Everyone is welcome. Set-up will ‘open’ at the West Seattle Elementary parking lot at 10:30 am. There will be face painting and an opportunity to make a flower for the parade. Look for a friendly face carrying a helium ballon for answers to questions. The Sound Wave marching band will be leading the way. Fun!

The picnic! Holy smokes some amazing people want to come hang out!

Click to read the rest of West Seattle Bee Garden: 1 week till the festival! What’s ahead – and how to help…

Nine days till West Seattle 5K! Can you volunteer that day?

If you’re not running or walking in the fifth annual West Seattle 5K on Sunday, May 19th, can you help out? Plenty of volunteer power is a must to make sure everything goes well:

West Seattle High School is looking for adult volunteers next Sunday (May 19th) to help with the 5K race. If you are able to help Sunday morning between 7:30 am to 12:00, or anytime inbetween, it would be much appreciated. Please send an email with your name and time you are available to ‘wshs5kvolunteers@gmail.com’ Any and all help will be much appreciated.

Registration is still open for WS5K (which WSB is co-sponsoring again this year), too – go here.

Followup: Last chance for Arbor Heights-grown tomato plants!

Remember the call for plant pots at Arbor Heights Elementary, for teacher Marcia Ingerslev and her farming first-graders – and the great response? The tomato plants – and some radishes too, we’re told – have been on sale after school this week and you’re welcome today as they sell plants one last time before Ms. Ingerslev has to haul the remainders off to be donated! The parent volunteer who shared the photo says it’s your chance to “be a proud new home to a grown-from-seed tomato plant (or radish) for a donation that goes fully to the farm program.” It’s a short sale window – about 3 pm to 3:30 pm, we’re told – but if you can make it over to Arbor Heights (37th and 104th), the plants await you, at a $2 donation each.

Video: Northwest Hope and Healing’s ‘Style ’13′ success

From words of hope, to walks of celebration, the “Style ’13″ fashion fundraiser by and for West Seattleite-founded/led Northwest Hope and Healing was a success – so we hear from Captive Eye Media‘s Edgar Riebe, who shared the video highlights from last night’s event at Showbox SODO. Edgar says NWHH announced a fundraising total of $120,000, more than last year – we will check today for any additional details. Next big benefit for NWHH is the annual Alki Beach 5K Run/Walk, August 25th.

Taste of West Seattle: Only 1 week away

It would take you months to get to all the West Seattle food and drink establishments you’ll be able to sample in one night, one place, next Thursday, during the Taste of West Seattle: Almost 50 of them, including breweries and wineries! Through the West Seattle Helpline, all proceeds go to local families facing emergencies. Just buy a ticket (and see the participant list) at tasteofwestseattle.org – they’re not expecting to have any left to sell at the door – and show up at The Hall at Fauntleroy on Thursday (May 16th), 6:30-9 pm – half an hour before that if you buy a VIP ticket (which also includes VIP seating and entry in a VIP raffle).

Fashion & fun(draising): Northwest Hope & Healing event tomorrow

West Seattleite-founded/led Northwest Hope and Healing has a unique mission for breast-cancer patients – It helps them handle everyday life even as they cope with the daunting challenge of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. The video above produced by West Seattle-based Captive Eye Media introduces you to some of the people NWHH has helped – in other words, people like those you’ll be helping if you go to its Style ’13 benefit fashion show at 7 pm tomorrow. West Seattle businesses are involved as sponsors and supporters, including Carmilia’s, West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), and Coastal. Online ticket sales are over but you can get yours at the door at Showbox SODO – details here.

Speaking of history … More chances to help honor it

Big day at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum this Saturday – the LHM is participating in West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (sale #70 on the map) 9 am-3 pm, and from 11 am-1 pm will be hosting its monthly informational event for prospective volunteers. And from SWSHS executive director Clay Eals – some specific ways you can help:

Just in time for the warmth of late spring and summer, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is ramping up its tour schedule and native-plant garden — and volunteers are welcome to help out.

Volunteer committees have formed to focus on tours and gardening. The leaders are Mark Lewis for tours and Carol Vincent for gardening. Here are details on both:

Click to read the rest of Speaking of history … More chances to help honor it…

North Delridge Neighborhood Council Beautification Committee does it again!

Lisa Taylor-Whitley heads up the North Delridge Neighborhood Council Beautification Committee, and every month, whether 3 people show up or 30, she and helpers are out cleaning up another corner of the neighborhood. This morning, it was the walking/biking path that leads from the Skylark Café and Club parking lot down to the bus stop at SW Spokane St. (where buses and other vehicles are detoured today and tomorrow because of repaving, remember). Before we caught up with Lisa on the path, we found other members of today’s cleanup crew wrapping up outside Skylark – Tom, Oliver, Nancy, and Jackson the dog:

They all explained that the path was in pretty good shape this time, so they only needed to work for a little more than an hour, half of the time allotted. Keep an eye on the NDNC’s website for info on upcoming cleanups – and/or send Lisa a note if you have a site to suggest (lisataylorwhitley@gmail.com).

Happening now: West Seattle Thriftway’s 1st benefit barbecue of the season

Benefit-barbecue season is off and sizzling at West Seattle Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy; WSB sponsor) – we caught Michele at the grill between burger batches this afternoon; the barbecues are a Thriftway tradition, benefiting local nonprofits, and today the proceeds are going to West Seattle Helpline. You have until 4 or so to stop by for yours, if you haven’t been there already!

Sneak peek at ‘Year of the Seal’ sculpture; May 13th meeting

The image is courtesy of Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey, who has an update on the sculpture in the works for their “Year of the Seal” project (first announced in January) – and your chance to come to a meeting about it on May 13th:

Seal Sitters’ educational outreach project Year of the Seal, made possible by a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods grant, is making great strides. Following a public Call to Artists and Selection Panel review, prominent Northwest bronze artist Georgia Gerber was chosen to create a full-scale sculpture of a harbor seal mom and pup. Georgia is shown here at work on the centerpiece of the project, which is designed to raise awareness about our fragile marine ecosystem.

Click to read the rest of Sneak peek at ‘Year of the Seal’ sculpture; May 13th meeting…

2 ways to help Stamp Out Hunger food drive on May 11th

As always, letter carriers’ nationwide Stamp Out Hunger food drive coincides with West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (second Saturday in May) – and whether you’re shopping or selling on Saturday, May 11th, we encourage you to set out a bag of donated nonperishable food by your mailbox/mail slot first thing that morning. There’s one more way to help – we’ve just heard from Food Lifeline, and they’re looking for volunteers to help with donations at the Westwood and Junction post offices that day: If you can spare some time, and are at least 16 years old and able to handle heavy lifting, please go here to sign up ASAP!

1 more way to offload unwanted items this weekend: Hope Lutheran donation drive

Spring cleaning? In addition to the events we’ve already mentioned for this weekend – shredding, recycling, drug take-back events all detailed here – we have word of yet another way you can do something useful this weekend with items you no longer use. Hope Lutheran Church is having a donation drive 10 am-2 pm Saturday (April 27) for newly arrived refugees – including furniture as well as other items that help make a house a home:

We are collecting donations of:
*kitchen tables and chairs
*couches
*twin- and full-sized beds
*nice blankets/sheets/towels
*kitchenware/pots and pans/utensils
*microwaves
*TVs/dvd players
*computers with all parts/laptops

***All must be in good, usable condition (no major tears or stains, please)
***Will NOT accept clothes or other furniture pieces not on list

See you there! Put on by Hope Lutheran Church and Lutheran Community Services NW Refugee Resettlement Program.

The church is at 4456 42nd SW, northeast corner of 42nd and Oregon.

Benefit skate at Southgate Roller Rink this Sunday

This Sunday, you can go rollerskating at Southgate Rink and not just have a good time, but also do a good deed. West Seattle resident Kathy Himes has organized the event to help her friend Pauline Hunt, a former professional mountain biker who now is living with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. They’re raising money for a Habitat for Humanity renovation for the home where Pauline and her family, including her two young daughters, live, so that it will be wheelchair-accessible. It’s a global effort – Pauline is in Canada and her friends around the world, including Kathy, are helping. So come skate 5-7 pm on Sunday, April 28, for $12, covering skate rental and a suggested donation. Kathy says there’ll be raffles too, thanks to donations from generous businesses including Zippy’s Giant Burgers, Full Tilt Ice Cream, and Meander’s Kitchen. (See the event flyer here.)

Six West Seattle, White Center restaurants in Dining Out for Life

Six West Seattle and White Center restaurants are signed on for this year’s Dining Out for Life fundraiser for Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Participants in West Seattle are Buddha Ruksa, Eats Market Café, Skylark Café and Club, and Talarico’s; participating restaurants in White Center are Company and Proletariat Pizza. The event is this Thursday (April 25th), and all six of are participating at dinnertime, donating 30 percent of their proceeds (at Skylark, it’s 50 percent).

Earth Day and beyond: What to do if you spot a honey-bee swarm

(Honey-bee swarm photographed in Genesee last year by Ute Herzel-Harding)
On this Earth Day, here’s a simple way to take action – save this information about what to do if you encounter a honey-bee swarm. Don’t panic – don’t be afraid – do report them to beekeepers who can give them a new home, which is what some bees are looking for at this time of year. Here’s expert advice from Puget Sound Beekeepers Association president Krista Conner, who happens to be a West Seattleite:

Puget Sound Beekeepers Association wants you to be prepared to help the bees!

With recent losses of bee populations worldwide, seeing a few bees around the garden is something to celebrate. But what do you do when a few thousand bees show up?

Most swarms are the size of a football, more or less.

Longer days bring a surge of blooming trees and flowers which create a short window of time for healthy honey bee colonies to split and create new colonies. This split happens when honey bees swarm: roughly 10-15 thousand bees and their queen will leave an existing colony and land upon a tree branch or side of building. Once there, this mass of bees can resemble a very large pine cone or football shaped mass. Swarming is the natural process that honey bee hives go through to create new colonies and spread their genetics to new locations.

Honey bee swarms are vulnerable outside the hive to weather, animals and more importantly people. They need to find a new home quickly. In a rural setting this is usually a hollow tree but in the city with loss of habitat this can take the form of a wall or attic of a house where they become a problem for homeowners.

If you encounter a swarm it is important to remain calm and to call a beekeeper quickly before the bees leave to a new home or take up residence in an undesirable location. It is important to not kill or disturb the honey bees by spraying pesticides or even water on them.

Puget Sound Beekeepers Association offers the community a “swarm list” – a list of beekeepers who are willing to collect swarms. The swarm list should be your first resource to manage a honey bee swarm. Swarm collection usually is provided for free if the bees are within easy reach and are not inside a wall or house. Follow the directions on the list for confirming help is on the way. While you wait for the beekeeper, the best thing you can do is get your camera ready and make sure people stay 10-15 feet away from the swarm.

When a beekeeper arrives they will remove the swarm by transferring them into a hive box. Bees in a swarm are less likely to sting because they have nothing to defend and are gorged with honey so they have energy to build a new colony. The beekeeper may work bare-handed or in a full suit to transfer the football sized swarm of bees into a hive with a shake of a branch or by the handful if they are on a wall. Once the majority of the bees are in the hive the beekeeper will wait for any stray bees to find their way into the hive box before closing the hive up to take to their new home.

Here and anywhere in the greater Seattle area, please refer to the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association swarm list to find a swarm-catching beekeeper: pugetsoundbees.org/psba-swarm-list

Thanks for helping the bees!
Puget Sound Beekeepers Association