Randy Oliver is a lifelong beekeeper, researcher, and educator with over five decades of experience in apiculture. After beginning as a hobbyist in 1966, he earned degrees in biological sciences with a specialization in entomology before establishing a large-scale migratory beekeeping operation in California, now managed with his sons Eric and Ian. Widely known for his applied research on honey bee health and practical solutions to modern beekeeping challenges, Randy has published monthly articles in American Bee Journal since 2006 and is a sought-after speaker at beekeeping conferences worldwide. Through his writing and presentations, he is dedicated to translating complex scientific research into clear, useful guidance for beekeepers of all levels.
Dawn Beck is a Northwest native living in the Skagit Valley and a retired CPA. She received her Master Beekeeping Certificate from the University of Montana in 2020 and became a Master Beekeeper through Cornell’s challenging program in 2024.
Dawn serves beekeeping organizations as President or Vice President in three local clubs and is on the board of WASBA. However, her true love is helping beekeepers learn to overwinter their bees and feel successful. She is the apiary manager or assistant for three club apiaries and cares for about 40 hives. Dawn has two grown children and loves spending time with her husband and hiking while travelling or staying close to home with her two dogs)
Fonta Molyneaux is a Mother of 3, Master Herbalist, organic farmer and professional beekeeper living and working on her farm Wild Everlasting outside of Cottage Grove Oregon. There she tends 30 hives, and grows over 100 varieties of medicinal herbs and heritage fruit trees and shrubs.
Fonta also owns and operates Sun Queen School of apiary arts. In its 8th season, teaching beekeeping education and mentorship in person and online. She is the past president of the Lane county beekeepers association as well as the current Educational coordinator. For more information www.wildeverlasting.com
This guide covers how things work for Members — from receiving texts to taking action.
What number will text messages come from?
All alerts will be sent from 818-643-3991. Save this number to avoid missing any alerts.
What is a Swarm Alert?
You’ll receive a swarm alert when:
A new swarm is reported
You are within range
You’re available according to your settings
The elevation is within your allowed threshold
Each alert includes a 5-digit claim code.
Who receives an alert?
The system identifies eligible Members — people whose range, elevation, and availability match the swarm. Alerts are then sent to those Members simultaneously.
How do I claim a swarm?
Reply to the alert with the exact claim code (e.g. 01134).
If it’s still available, the swarm will be assigned to you. You’ll receive a message like:
Congratulations!
SWARM INFO
Name: Alice
Phone: 503-123-4567
Address:
123 Honeybee Ln, Portland, OR
Log in at https://member.swarmreport.org if you need to "Un-claim" the swarm or "Mark as Bad".
What happens if I text something else?
Only two types of messages are recognized by 818-643-3991:
Valid claim codes (e.g. 01134)
Twilio commands like START or STOP
Any other message will be ignored.
How do I control when I get alerts?
Set your availability schedule (custom day/time windows per week)
Configure your range in miles to limit alerts to local swarms
Set a maximum elevation for alerts
Toggle Do Not Disturb to temporarily stop alerts
After claiming a swarm –
You have two options if you’re unable to collect it:
Un-claim: Releases the swarm so another Member can take it.
Mark as Bad: Flags the swarm as unreachable, invalid, or no longer active. This removes it from the system and notifies the admin.
You can find these options by logging into https://member.swarmreport.org and locating the claimed swarm under “Claimed Swarms.”
You only have 24 hours to take action — after that, you will no longer see these options for this swarm.
What happens if I don’t claim a swarm?
Members receive alerts in staggered batches based on recent claim activity. If you’ve recently claimed a swarm, you’ll receive future alerts later than others:
Recent Claims
Delay Before Receiving Alert
0
Immediate
1
10 minutes
2
20 minutes
3
30 minutes
4
40 minutes
5
50 minutes
6+
60 minutes
How is my location used?
Your address is turned into a latitude/longitude point and used to determine if you are in range for a reported swarm. Your exact location is never shared with others.
How do I give feedback?
You can leave feedback in two ways:
Use the Feedback button found on most pages of the site
Judy has been an urban beekeeper in Eugene, OR for 23 years. She is a past president of Lane County Beekeepers Association and worked on the Oregon Master Beekeeper planning committee. She is especially fascinated by the biology of honey bees, plays banjo and loves cats.
Spring Management – everything you need to know about shepherding your bees towards a successful summer.
Mid to late spring hive management is an important step in preventing spring starvation, preparing for the expansion of hive population, controlling mites, recognizing swarm preparation, and preventing swarms. This talk takes us up to the major honey flow in June.
Mandy is a longtime beekeeper who maintains a number of different hives with an emphasis on bee health and nutrition. She is a former PUB President, podcaster, and owner of Bella Beek (beekeeping suits, veils, and supplies).
Please join us for an informal get together for coffee, tea and lots of talk about bees. No formal agenda. You do not have to be a member to attend. We’ve reserved a large table and will have a new game available to play! New beekeepers come with your questions! Seasoned beekeepers come with answers! Saturday September 27th: Gather and Blather @11:00 AM –12:30PM Location:
