Bees cause sticky problem for zoo

The swarm arrived suddenly on Friday morning

Bird keepers at a Devon zoo have been presented with a sticky problem after hundreds of bees took up residence in a nesting box in one of the aviaries.

The Patagonian conures at Exmoor Zoo are now having to share their enclosure with the swarm, which arrived suddenly on Friday morning.

The insects will be left in the box until Saturday morning.

Then experts from the local Quince Honey Farm will be called in to collect them and take them to a hive.

Steve Eddy, from the zoo, said: "They were nowhere to be seen at 1100 BST and everywhere by 1115 BST.

"Staff and visitors are in no danger as swarming bees are so full of honey that they rarely sting."