A buzz on the streets stops traffic - team of beekeepers remove swarm from Regent Street

Published: 24 June 2011
by JOSH LOEB

SHOPPERS got more than they bargained for when a swarm of bees brought part of the West End to a standstill on Monday.

Beekeepers were called to the corner of Hanover Street and Regent Street at around 10am after thousands of bees swarmed around a traffic light.

The insects then gathered on a wall outside a building in Hanover Street, as men wearing white coats attempted to bring them under control.

Motorists were told to wind up their windows.

David Bird, who works in an office in Regent Street, said: “I only came out on my lunch break. 

“I didn’t expect to be greeted by a huge swarm of bees, that’s for sure. 

“It’s absolutely fascinating. It’s something you’d expect to see out in the countryside somewhere, not in central London.”

It took almost five hours for beekeepers to catch all of the insects, who were said to be on the hunt for a new hive.

Beekeeper Graham Young said: “It is what I would call an unexpected swarm. 

“They seem to have come from a local colony somewhere, but I don’t know for sure. 

“I’m not sure why they came to Regent Street, perhaps they wanted to check out the sales. 

“It is likely that the colony in question became too big and a new queen bee eventually forced the old one out, who seems to have come here along with some of her bees, in search of a new hive. So far, our attempts at catching the bees hasn’t been as successful as we had hoped.”