Thousands of bees swarm down chimney and invade family’s kitchen 

Buzz off! Skin-crawling moment thousands of bees swarm down chimney and invade family’s kitchen

  • Thousands of bees took over a family kitchen Broughton Green, Worcestershire
  • In search of a new hive they entered the house through the house’s chimney 
  • They could not escape from the kitchen and were rescued by a beekeeper 

A swarm of bees travelled down a family’s chimney and took over their kitchen while looking for a new hive. 

Anya Butler woke up to the sound of bees buzzing before they gradually flew down her chimney and into her house in Broughton Green, Worcestershire.

Footage shows thousands of bees circling above the family’s chimney while the family discuss whether they are bees or wasps. 

After entering the house through the chimney the bees took over the family’s kitchen and lined the windows in Broughton Green, Worcestershire

The family were unable to use their kitchen for five days as the bees stayed there unable to escape

 The family were unable to use their kitchen for five days as the bees stayed there unable to escape

Pictured: Anya Butler who said her family was happy to see the bees 'happy and safe' after they were rescued

Pictured: Anya Butler who said her family was happy to see the bees ‘happy and safe’ after they were rescued

Anya says: ‘I didn’t realise that’s what the noise was.

‘I can hear it right in my room.’

The footage cuts to the inside of the house showing the bees frantically flying around and lining the windows. 

As the bees were not able to escape the family had no access to their kitchen for five days. 

Anya’s mother had the clever idea to sweep them into a box while they were sleeping and the footage shows them completely still, bunched together inside the box. 

This made it easier for the beekeeper to take them away after the five-day ordeal. 

The end of the video shows some boxes with the caption: ‘Cardboard box is for bees we just rescued, plastic box is the actual hive.’     

The footage also showed the bees completely still and swarmed together while they were sleeping at night

The footage also showed the bees completely still and swarmed together while they were sleeping at night 

Anya's mother cleverly thought to sweep some of the sleeping bees into a cardboard box which made it easier for the beekeeper to rescue them

Anya’s mother cleverly thought to sweep some of the sleeping bees into a cardboard box which made it easier for the beekeeper to rescue them 

Anya said: ‘We all began to panic when they came in their thousands.

‘We were all relieved to see them happy and safe – bees are great and it was wonderful to see them sleeping peacefully.

‘The whole ordeal lasted about five days but by day three most of the bees were in a box outside.

‘My mum is very brave – she deserves all the credit for keeping the honey bees safe and I’m proud of her!

‘At night, my mum came in and swept the sleeping bees into jars and put them into the cardboard box and moved them outside.’ 

dark  

Why do bees swarm?  

A honeybee colony swarming is a natural process. 

It’s the colony reproducing by the old queen leaving with some of the bees. 

They leave their hive and find somewhere to hang in a cluster until the scout bees decide on their new home.  

Most swarms often occur on warm Sunny days in May to the end of July, between 11am – 4pm

Often there is a peak on a fine day after poor weather when temperatures approach high teens.

A real honey bee swarm can be dramatic involving many thousands of bees in a large noisy cloud, however they normally settle into a cluster within 15 minutes.   

Things to know: 

  • Collecting a swarm is normally a 2 part process…
  • Part one – to get the bees into a box
  • Part two – to return in the evening to remove bees and box
  • Most honey bee swarms are not aggressive but please do keep away
  • Honey bee swarming is natural and the bees are just looking for a new home
  • Bumblebees are best left alone
  • They are valuable pollinators, some are endangered
  • Please don’t use chemicals or other products on them
  • Don’t try to block entrance hole as they will try to find another way out possibly into the property
  • They will die out naturally in late summer/autumn
  • Therefore the cost of a pest controller is easily avoided
  • Wasps may require a pest controller if in a dangerous position
  • Wasps are also good pollinators and eat pests in your garden
  • Beekeepers don’t remove wasps  

Source: The British Beekeepers Association  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk