My return replyLinda,
Thank you for thinking of me when a bee problem arises. You did give your friend the best advice to search in the phone book for a bee keeper in the area. Also call the county extension agency, Untied States Deptment of Agculture{s/p??} and ask about bee keepers in the area. Our local Newspaper also has a call list of area beekeepers who will remove swarms.
Those Honey bees will not normally harm a person unless they are pinched or feel that some thing is trying to steal there honey stores. But I also have never came across a swarm in rain storms with out shelter.
We do have a couple of members on the bee forum who are in California.
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/Your friend need not sign up as a member to post there. Just do a post with the question about some one in that area collecting the bees and give the location.
Also a older forum for bee keepers who might have a member in the area to help is
http://www.beesource.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/Ultimatebb.cgi?action=intro I found these members a bit less helpful for beginning beekeepers but there are still some that bend over back wards to help.
Not sure about being able to post with out being a member here so your friend might want to just contact the admin. and ask them to do the post of help in some way.
Admin@beesource.com
Oh ya I am not the beemaster that title belongs to John. I'm Just a moderator trail twister there.
Would you please let me know how things turn out?
Thank you
{:-) Al