Our Story
Discover who we are
Family Run
How we got here
A Bee-Driven Journey
In 2013, our venture into crafting skin cream began with a humble gift of beeswax.
When our initial supply ran out, the search for more took us down an unexpected path— we ended up getting into beekeeping.
This unconventional route not only fulfilled our need for beeswax (eventually) but also sparked a deep connection to the world of bees and just how special these furry little flower bandits where.
In 2018, we noticed a challenge in community support for those encountering honeybee swarms.
People would have issues with bees, but not know who to turn to.
At the time, there were about 75 different beekeeping clubs in Ireland.
Some could be identified easily, their providence was mentioned in their name.
For lots of others, their club names were ambiguous.
To the member of the public who wakes up to bees coming down their chimney, that proved a challenge to find a group close enough to help them.
Something with a simple and easy to communicate name was needed, a central point that would cascade out to the right person, for the right issue.
To address this, we initiated an internet resource, Swarms.ie, which connects the most appropriate beekeeper with people facing swarming challenges in Ireland.
To date, we have almost 1000 (986) beekeepers in each and every county in Ireland who are willing and capable of responding to people in need.
Over the years, this grassroots effort has saved millions upon millions of bees and assisted countless individuals, creating a ripple effect of care and conservation. It has also done its part to raise awareness that there is no need to be afraid of bees to the point you should kill them, there is someone willing to help, for free, and usually immediately.
This is basically what Swarms.ie achieves.
What started as a quest for a natural ingredient evolved into a heartfelt mission to protect and nurture the lives of honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees.
Today, our story is one of unexpected turns, community support, and a commitment to the well-being of both your skin and the precious pollinators that have become integral to our journey.
Jocelyn
Joci is a Makeup Specialist for Stage and Screen, and spends her days working on TV and films produced in Ireland. When she’s not busy on set, she’s learning about the latest makeup trends and skin care routines
Abigail
Abigail started working on what would turn into HoneyMaiden in 2013 and has been developing the skincare you find on this site, since then.
Steve
Abigail needed beeswax, Steve got sent to a beekeepers course to buy some. Turned out easier to become a beekeeper, than it was to just buy the wax. Life is strange!
Swarms.ie
Swarms.ie
Ireland's Honeybee Rescue Network
In 2018, Swarms.ie kicked off when Steve, facing the realisation that people were encountering unexpected bees into their lives, and not knowing where to turn for immediate help, realized there was a gap in accessible assistance for everyday people dealing with swarms.
Drawing on his experience in corporate technical support, Steve adapted the idea of inter-departmental collaboration to the world of Irish beekeeping.
As of January 21th, 2024, Swarms.ie has grown to include 986 beekeepers across Ireland, responding promptly to local swarm alerts.
Swarms.ie thrives on teamwork, with beekeepers serving as the hands in physically relocating bees and the public acting as vigilant eyes, making the whole system work.
In nearly every single case, it is a stranger helping another stranger, willingly. How can you not love that!
Each successful relocation not only spares homeowners from inconvenient honeybee encounters and sometimes fairly costly remedial work to extract them, but also prevents potential extermination.
The organization also plays a role in preserving the well-being of local bee colonies, preventing disease vectoring, and ensuring care for these vital pollinators are given by the people best suited to look after them.
This is even more evident with our ever changing weather. In 2023, after an absolute biblical number of swarm cases where received in the Spring, it basically rained for 2 months. Any of that years swarms that did not find a foster carer, more than likely starved to death in the deluge. Millions of bees were likely lost due to this, and an unknowable amount of unique genetics.
For this and so many other reasons, we feel we must continue this work.
Beyond the logistics, the beekeepers are the unsung heroes, making quick work of relocating swarms and turning potential chaos into impromptu biology lessons for homeowners. Despite the challenges of running Swarms.ie on busy days, the rewards lie in the tangible impact on both the human and bee communities.
It’s not just about saving bees; it’s about pragmatic solutions and cooperative efforts, one swarm at a time.
To date, Swarms.ie has assisted in approximately 10000 cases, and somewhere in the region of 100-150 million honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees have been saved by the network of diligent volunteers (properly classed as heroes, lets be honest, these beekeepers are legendary).
During peak Swarm season in the last seasons, we are receiving sometimes north of 150 cases per day.
Lots of bees have been saved, lots of bees have found foster carers but lots more can and will be saved.
Until someone proves it to the contrary, Steve is of the opinion that Swarms.ie is the largest Honeybee rescue network, in the entire world (or at the very least that can be googled in English!)