A MAN has spoken of his shock when he found a swarm of bees clinging to the boot of his car.

Steve Dixon from Malpas Court in Newport made the call for help when a large number of bees swarmed around the licence plate of a car.

Mr Dixon who provides training at Malpas Court said: “The car was owned by someone who uses the court. I went out and saw the bees and they were swirling and gathering on the car. They can get a bit nasty so I got hold of ecologist Steve Williams who called Mêl Torfaen Honey.”

Steffan ap Breian was the beekeeper who attended the scene and charged with tackling the swam with his special equipment.

Mr Dixon added: “The bees got angry and formed a big cloud. Everyone was hiding inside. The swarm split in two and one went down the side of the court and formed on security light.

“He collected 5,000 bees and he explained that he will feed them up and that the colony will grow to 50,000. He said they will be making honey next year.

"There were people trying to take pics and getting too close. People were trying to skirt round them to get to their cars. They certainly caused a buzz - it’s not something you see very day.”

Mr Ap Breian said: “I got the call at 2pm and I arrived at the scene at just after 3pm and I was finished at Malpas Court by 6.30pm.

“Before you get to any job like this there is at least two hours of preparation to do before you leave. You have to collect everything and check the equipment. Then when I had the bees I drove with them to Blaenavon. I finished at 8pm.”

The bees were caught using a box called a nuc and frames of honey, comb and wax.

Mr Ap Breian explained: “We put the fame of honey in box and two frames of comb each side, then the base wax on the outside. When the swarm leave the hive it’s because their home has got too small so they create a new queen and she takes 65 per cent of the bees away.

“In the picture there is one special one, she is the queen who lays eggs. This time of year she hatches 500 eggs a week in May, 1,000 a week and in summer she will lay 2,000 eggs a week.

“The queen gives a smell from her Nasonov gland that attracts the bees, so you have to get her in box, once she is in the other bees will follow.”

Mêl Torfaen Honey is a community enterprise based in Pontypool and will be selling honey at the Cwmbran Shopping Sustainability Day on June 30.

Find them on Facebook at Mêl Honey