SwarmPatrol.com - a new specialised web site for swarm collection

[ozebee]

I thought I would put this into the main forum as well for all you US Beeks to see as you probably don't look often at the "Down Under Forum" Hope to see lots of you on the site with us.

http://www.swarmpatrol.com has just been launched to make it easier for general public to report a swarm and get very fast notification to the nearest Beekeepers who can collect it. It is based on GPS coordinates of the swarm and allows the system to locate the 3 nearest beekeepers to the swarm and sends them a text message to their cell phone with the contact details of the person reporting the swarm. It is then up to the notified Beekeepers to negotiate the collection on a first available basis.
Registration of SwarmPatrollers is free and it will probably take a while to populate the site and make it come up quickly in Google but the idea seems great. I am sure the site can be expanded to gather lots of interesting information. The swarm location map is great! Should be a perfect tool in readiness for the Northern Hemisphere spring swarming season. We are the guinea pigs for it here down under!!

[tjc1]

What a cool idea - but how do you get the general public to know that it is available?

[ozebee]

I guess Google will have a lot to do with it once the site really gets going and of course i am sure word of mouth and any other channel to make it popular. Here in Oz, we are getting the local councils involved in promoting it in their regions and I am sure very quickly the Media will pick it up. Bees are very much a good topic to talk about so let's take advantage of it.

[Bee-Mover]

Just signed up, I'll post if I get any interest from it.

[bbbthingmaker]

I just signed up too. It will be interesting to see if this works.

[melliferal]

What an ingenious idea!

It seems to me beekeepers will have to understand that they'll be getting the occasional page about a wasp nest; but most of us are used to that kind of thing I suppose.

[Kathyp]

i like that 'latest swarm collected' addition.  that's a cool way to track activity.