THERE was quite a surprise in store for one unlucky driver, when a swarm of bees hitched a ride on their Smart car in Belsize Park. 

Thousands of the winged insects were spotted congregating on the vehicle in Upper Park Road on Friday (May 8). Despite the seemingly strange choice of location, bee expert Gill Maclean explained this behaviour is “completely natural”. As the bees reproduce, their colonies become overpopulated, so they split up and move to a new spot to start a new colony, she explained.

It is believed that the bees had stopped off on the car on their way to finding a new home. Ms Maclean from The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) said: “We don't know why the bees have settled on that site, it is just a spot to congregate – they could have chosen anywhere, such as a lamppost or a tree branch. They are sending out scouts to find a new home and could stay for between an hour or a couple of days.” 

Though it may appear unusual, groups of bees often stop off in unlikely places – Ms Maclean has seen swarms on bicycle handlebars, on deck chairs and even the window of a Topshop store. 

And despite there being thousands of worker bees and one queen bee, the BBKA assure there is little threat as the bees are "not interested" in humans. They have filled up their stomachs with honey which has left them “quite mellow” and therefore unlikely to attack unless they are provoked.  

The BBKA encourage anyone who comes across a swarm to call a beekeeper to collect the insects and take them to a hive, otherwise they are likely to settle in someone's roof or chimney, where they might not survive.