A swarm of bees in West Kilbride last Wednesday tea-time spread alarm in the town, but there was nothing to worry about according to a local bee expert.
Dramatic video footage appeared on the social media website of a cloud of the insects in the high street.
A local beekeeper was called out and managed to attract the bees to the sign panel of a local gallery before safely removing them, and taking them away.
The swarms were also spotted down at the tennis courts that day.
Tom Marshall, who is a North Ayrshire Councillor, is also a keen beekeeper.
He said: “It normally happens at this time of the year. The bees colony in the hive get large and upwards of 50,000 bees, and the queen bee decides it is time to swarm. The worker bees then build queen cells in the hive, and the queen goes over with 10,000 bees with her, and leaves the rest with the queen cells that will hatch and provide another queen.
“What people in West Kilbride saw was the swarm, and in the centre was the queen flown out, and the swarm are looking for a new home. They will alight anywhere, up chimneys, and in bushes, and there was a recent report last week of bees settling on a traffic light in London.”
“A swarm of bees are very happy bees as the first thing they do is they gorge themselves with honey, so their stomachs are full and not prone to sting. You can walk through a swarm and they will not sting you - it is only if you try and swat them that they will retaliate.”