A SWARM of bees have set up home in a bird box in Bishopsmead, writes Shannon Hards.

The bee-utiful insects turned up last weekend and set up camp in the back garden in Willow Road of Peter Gaffan and Emma Hines.

Emma said: 'We had wasps in the bird box last year, which were quite a nuisance but it has been empty all winter.

'We saw the queen bee enter and now it is absolutely full of young bees!'

Emma estimated that there are a 'good 100' bees currently inside the bird box, which are in and out all day, with another ten to 12 outside waiting to enter.

Differing slightly from a regular yellow and black bee, these insects are not striped with light brown bodies and black lower halves.

Emma added: 'We haven't disturbed them and are very happy to keep them. Bees are very important to the environment so we are very pleased — wasps are a different matter!

'We think it's lovely that they have moved in but are being a bit careful after already having one sting while doing some gardening at the weekend.'

Dr Lea Bayly, chairman of the Tavistock Beekeepers, said: 'It's likely they are bumblebees rather than honeybees. There are 50 to 60 different types of bumblebees ranging in size and they usually live in nests of 100 to 400 bees while honeybees hives are much larger.

'We had a huge number of calls last summer and because the summer was longer and hotter they lasted longer than usual.

'Bees die out at the end of each year so their existing nest will cease to exist. If you leave them alone and don't interfere they won't sting to defend themselves.'