swarm-list Mailing List: Re: El Cerrito Swarm Under Bart Tracks

[Cameron Bauer (macpaintuser]

I worked for BART for 34 years. The subject of colonies in the girder holes would occasionally come up over the years. They have no impact on the system. 

At one point we had a bee coordinator, but for more problematic locations. I suspect that if you alert BART to a colony in a girder hole, you’ll be met with great indifference.

On May 27, 2026, at 1:08 PM, Eva Kersey via swarm-list <swarm-list [at] alamedabees.org> wrote:



Thanks for the context, Jerry! You're right, the tracks are higher than 15'; I could barely reach with my pole and bucket. 

All of what you describe is what I assumed was going on. HOWEVER, I went back to check on them one last time after writing my message, and there were bees on the ground and none hanging off the concrete. So I got my gear again, scooped them into my nuc box, and even spotted a queen. So, who knows what's going on inside that hole. 

I'll be back to get them tonight. 

Cheers,

Eva

On Wed, May 27, 2026, 12:43 PM Gerald Przybylski via swarm-list <swarm-list [at] alamedabees.org> wrote:

Some years we get  reports of "swarms" hanging under bart tracks. 

Often there's COMB hanging down, so it looks like a colony attached to the concrete. 

Often there's a HOLE in the concrete that communicates with a Cavity in the structure, 
so what you really have is the extension of the colony with the bees expanding 
the colony outside the hole by build comb for the excess bees to occupy. 

Actually those tracks are more like 20 feet off the ground. 
"getting" the "swarm" will involve breaking the comb loose from the concrete.  
Not only that, the queen is probably inside the cavity, not in the comb hanging under the track.   
You get a queenless colony, and maybe a mess of dead bees in the process. 

I've heard the occasional report that these "swarms" or arrays of comb with bees disappear over night. 
I speculate that there is a BART crew tasked with making these bees disappear. 

Nobody from BART with the responsibility for that aspect of maintenance has ever reached out to the swarm line.
I don't know which office has responsibility.
I don't know if they have a contractor in place to take care of them. 
It would probably require a man-lift to recover them. 
Alternately, a pressure-washer would do the job, but that method is only speculation on my part. 

If someone Within BART knows who to talk to, I'd be delighted to have a short conversation. 
We would better be able to explain to our callers how these calls will ultimately evolve. 
In our ignorance, we can only recommend "sssssh!!"  Let's hope nobody notices them and complains,
so the bee COLONIES can be left alone. 

Jerry

On 5/27/26 9:35 AM, Gabriel Harber via swarm-list wrote:

Not super high… maybe 15’ up.  Certainly reachable with pole and bucket.  Maybe soccer ball size.  Under bart tracks in El Cerrito.

-Gabriel

510-967-6244

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