Swarm of bees makes ‘unauthorised landing’ at Edinburgh Airport

The swarm landed on a grit bin in a car park at the airport earlier in September, and property managers sought professional help to get it rehomed.

Airport bosses described it as an “unauthorised landing” and joked that the site was a “hive of activity” during the summer holidays.

Beekeeper Stephen Readman moved all the bees into a special box to relocate the swarm, and they will be monitored for several weeks before an inspection to confirm they are free of disease.

They will then be transferred to Mr Readman’s apiaries near Blackford, Perth and Kinross.

Mr Readman, president of Edinburgh and Midlothian Beekeepers’ Association, said: “I thought beekeepers were finished with swarms this year, so it was a surprise to hear about the unauthorised honeybee landing at Edinburgh Airport.

“Swarming usually occurs in late spring and summer when the queen leaves the colony with the adult flying bees. They leave behind enough young bees, larvae, eggs and prepared queen cells to keep the previous colony going.

“A swarm will travel to a new location and may land on trees, bushes, walls, posts or anything convenient to wait while the scouts find a new permanent home.”

An Edinburgh Airport spokesperson said: “We welcome tens of thousands of visitors to the airport every day but these ones had to be treated very differently.

“Our teams acted swiftly after being notified of the swarm in order to ensure the bees were collected in a careful and professional manner, and taken to a more suitable location.

“We’d like to thank Stephen for his work, and we look forward to further updates on their progress.”