A swarm of bees caused a buzz when they formed a giant triangle shape on a tree outside one family home.

Hundreds of the flying insects set up camp on a small tree outside the home of Liz Evans in Bramber Way, Burgess Hill, on Monday.

Ms Evans, 54, said she had to ask her friend to help her with her shopping because she was so conscious of the swarm.

She said: “I arrived home in my car and saw them all on the tree. “Before we knew it they were buzzing around everywhere and even- tually flew off.

“I took some pictures but only from the safety of inside my house by the window.

“My neighbour Rob took some great pictures of them hanging in the shrub before I arrived home. It was all quite eventful.”

Melvyn Essen, chairman of the Central Sussex Beekeepers Association, said the bees would have been hanging from the tree while “scouts” were sent out to find a new hive or nest.

He said: “What they’re doing is a nat- ural way of reproducing honey bee colonies. “It’s happening a lot at this time of year as they’re swarming out of the nests because of the warm weather in search of nectar.

“They come out of their hive or nest and hang somewhere together, like a tree. “While this is going on, scout bees will leave the swarm to look for someplace else to go.

“When they find somewhere suit- able they move off to a new place.

“The picture of the bees flying all around the garden probably means the scouts found somewhere else to go, and so they all left.”

Mr Essen said people who spot hanging swarms should contact a local beekeeper to come and take them away.

He added: “The message to people is that if they see a swarm hanging they should probably contact the British Bee Keepers Association.

“They’ll find you the nearest bee keeper who will then come along, col- lect the bees and put them into a hive or give them to someone who needs bees.

“The problem is if bee keepers don’t collect them they’ll end up in people’s lofts and walls, probably causing a nuisance.”