A hive of bees was removed from a busy City of Hamilton street last night.

The swarm had set up home in the truck of a French oak outside the Church of God Heritage Worship Centre on Dundonald Street and caused alarm among some passers-by, who complained to the Corporation of Hamilton.

Beekeeper Spencer Field of Passion Fields used smoke to tranquilise the insects, whose hive was at pavement level, before he used a vacuum cleaner-like machine to suck them into a container for safe transportation to a more secluded home.

However, Mr Field said it was impossible to remove the queen and her immediate brood without causing damage to the tree.

He added: “The queen will end up dying and the hole will be closed up. I didn’t like to do that, but there’s a happy balance between an ideal location for them and a dangerous one and this is definitely on that end.”

He said: “I’ve saved 1,500 or so, which can still function as a colony.”

Mr Field added that a new queen could be found and a new hive established.

The eviction marked about the 30th swarm of bees, which are essential to the environment, that Mr Field has relocated this year alone.