A retired engineer is set to become an accidental beekeeper - after deciding to keep a thousands-strong swarm that appeared in his garden.

Dave Freiter and his neighbours were left gobsmacked when the huge colony turned up outside his home in Maidstone, Kent, and settled on his waste bin.



There were so many bees that Mr Freiter, 62, could not see the houses on the other side of the road - prompting him to call for help from Mid Kent Beekeepers.

Volunteers quickly showed up and had the swarm, which had settled on Mr Freiter's waste bin, under control in just a few hours.

They and Mr Freiter are now looking for a hive which the bees can call home.

"There were so many bees that we couldn't see the other side of the road," he said. "So I thought, 'we've got a problem here'."



"Within an hour or so the bees had made a big nest on the side of my black bin. So I went onto the Internet and got a beekeeper, and she came and took them away. "

"But now, she has given me some pamphlets and books on bees because I'd like to buy my own hive to put the colony in." "

While Mr Freiter's transition to beekeeper was somewhat accidental - he said that as a self-confessed nature lover, he is actually really looking forward to the new hobby.

The pensioner's plan is to find a spot at a local farm where a hive can be installed for the bees. Then, in the future, he hopes to produce honey which he will sell for charity.

"I've been reading all the information and there's a lot more to it than you'd think," Mr Freiter said. "

"You've got to have a lot of knowledge and obviously you've got to get all the gear, so I'm going to need a suit-thing." "

Rita Kotsis, one of Mr Freiter's neighbours on Bower Street, was working from home when the swarm arrived outside their houses on Friday (May 17) afternoon.

She explained: "I heard this huge buzzing sound and I popped my head out of the window and there was a swarm of bees. "

"They kept moving down the street, and then they just stopped at my neighbour's house and swarmed around there for a good two hours before settling onto the dustbin. "

"It was absolutely amazing to see. It was a great experience." "

More bees appeared in Mr Freiter's garden on Saturday (May 18) and Sunday (May 19), but thankfully in much smaller numbers.

Experts say they were potentially attracted by pheromones from the first swarm.

The British Beekeepers Association says swarming is a natural process whereby a colony reproduces when the old queen leaves with some of the bees.

Swarms are most likely to occur on warm, sunny days from May to the end of July.

Anyone who encounters a swarm is advised to go online and find details of a local beekeeper.