A SWARM of bees have set up home outside a popular Glasgow restaurant, forcing it to close its doors.

The BBC reports that the bees arrived at 63rd+1st on Sunday morning.

It is understood staff were forced to leave the Bothwell Street restaurant via a fire exit as the cluster marked its territory at the front of the premises. 

The National:

The National:

The National:

The bar closed for over a day before reopening on Monday evening as the bees attached themselves to a wheelie bin which staff were able to move. 

Duty manager Petya Petrova told the BBC: "Hundreds of them swarmed outside the entire front of the building.

"I have no idea what happened, they just arrived randomly and settled onto the railing in about 10 minutes.

"We ended up having to close because it's obviously a safety risk, with it being so close to the entrance.

"We put up a sign to explain we had to close because of the bee colony on the terrace.

"But we still saw some people going up close to them and trying to touch the bees, which probably isn't a good idea."

The National: Bee swarm on Bothwell Street. Picture by Colin Mearns

The manager put the wheelie bin near the swarm and they started moving over.

She added: "Apparently they send scouts over to check out a new place to nest.

"And then they all moved over, which meant we were able to move the bin away from the entrance and reopen for dinner on Monday night."

It is understood the bees will be removed today. 

She said: "I've got used to them while they've been there.

"I'm a lot less scared of bees now. It's mental though, I've never seen anything like it."