What to do if a swarm of bees are in your home or garden

The family spent the day in the garden on Saturday, where there were no signs of the insects.

On Sunday the homeowner, Danny Steadman said: “how many drinks did I have last night?” when he looked out the window and saw part of his Hawthorn tree moving.

Mr Steadman said: “They were pretty docile although the sheer amount of them and noise that was made meant the family didn’t fancy sitting in the garden, we watched from inside.

“Luckily within 20mins the swarm took flight with thousands of bees covering our back garden then eventually flying off.”

Dedham Vale Honey have said not to panic if a similar situation happens to you as a swarm of bees are not aggressive or defensive.

They said that it is best to contact a beekeeper if you are in a similar situation to minimise the risks of harm to property or the bees.

If they were to move inside there could be costs for repairs if they had to be removed from inside a building.

Daniel Thomas, from Dedham Vale Honey, said: “The bees are just looking for a new home, however just give them some room so they don’t feel under threat and also keep inquisitive pets away.

“Then just simply call a local beekeeper who would normally be very happy to come and collect them, we have been offering this service for many years and it is free of charge.

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“As Colchester and surrounding areas grow and more housing is built there is less natural habitats for bees to find a home so they often have no alternative but to choose somewhere unsuitable such as a chimney, commercial building, compost bin or school building.

"This will often bring them into conflict with people and they may well be destroyed so please don’t just leave a swarm to fly away, always call a beekeeper who can give them a suitable home away from people so they can live safely and happy and do what bees do.”