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30,000 wild honey bees close Sheffield's Castle Market
CASTLE Market was closed yesterday afternoon when an estimated 30,000 swarming bees descended on Sheffield city centre.
Two clouds of honey bees appeared at Waingate just after midday, swarming onto the roof of Shoe Zone and around a hanging basket on the corner with Castle Street.
Shoe Zone worker Susan Crossland said: "A big cloud of bees suddenly appeared outside the shop. There were thousands and thousands of them. They just suddenly arrived."
Her colleague Stacey Bingham called Sheffield Council's environmental health officers, who contacted bee keepers Jez Daughtry and George Windsor.
Police officers cordoned off Waingate and closed the market while the pair safely captured the two swarms in a two-hour operation.
Bee expert Mr Daughtry had been exhibiting with his new company The Sheffield Honey Company at the Sheffield Food Festival when he was called.
"It's been quite a day," he told The Star. "This was our very first day of trading and we had this come up!
"There were between 10,000 and 15,000 bees in each swarm - each swarm weighed about five pounds.
"That's a lot of bees. George and I have taken one colony each - so some of these bees will now become part of the Sheffield Honey Company workforce!"
Mr Daughtry said bees swarm when a new queen is born and the colony divides.
"They look for a new home and set up shop somewhere temporarily while the scouts look for somewhere permanent.
"You have to race to get them before they move off again.
"It's quite simple really. You have to get the queen into a basket and the rest of the swarm will follow her.
"When they're swarming they are quite safe. They are engorged with honey and are quite lazy.
"Swarming bees are a healthy sign. It shows there are feral bees thriving in the wild, which I think can only be a good thing."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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