Leeds woman unable to go in own home due to massive bee infestation in flat

Melanie Wright, who lives in a flat on Acres Hall Avenue in Pudsey, said that there are more than 300 bees currently in her front room.

The sheer number of the insects means she is unable to even enter the flat.

Ms Wright said: "I've never seen anything like it. It is a serious infestation.

"At the moment 300 or more bees are in my front room - and more and more keep coming. There are more bees inside the house than outside.

"In fact you can see them crawling about from outside the window, they look like heavy raindrops."

This is not the first time Ms Wright has dealt with an infestation of honeybees.

Due to cracks in the building structure, she has had bee infestations every summer for the past two years.

However, Ms Wright, a health a safety rep herself, said this is the worst she has ever seen it and that the help she has had to fix the issue has not been good enough.

She said: "The support I have had has been outrageous. I've been raising it all summer and emailed everyone I can think of for help but nothing.

"If I had kids they would have had to move me ages ago - it is a health risk."

The experience has also been very hard on her personally, and that this has been extra stress for her at an already difficult time.

Ms Wright said: "My nerves are shot to pieces - they are absolutely shattered.

"My dad passed away in February as well so I've been dealing with this while trying to grieve too.

"I won't sleep tonight because of this and I am up at 3am for work.

"I have nightmares that I will wake up and they'll be swarms of bees around me.

"I can't sleep - I've been a nervous wreck all summer."

Workers came today to spray the room and exterminate the bees - for which Ms Wright is very grateful.

However, she said she was not given prior notice that they were coming and, as the spray takes 48 hours to kill the bees, she is now unable to stay in her home and has nowhere else to go.

She has also been told she has to clean the hundreds of dead bees herself once the spray has taken affect.

At this stage, Ms Wright feels she has no choice but to leave the home she has lived in for 20 years.

Ms Wright said: "Honeybees are protected but at this stage it is either I go or they go.

"They have to leave - I cannot live in this flat as it is.

"I'm in shock, I can't calm down and can't stand still. I've never seen anything like it in my life.

"It is like something out of a wildlife programme."

Leeds City Council has been contacted for comment.