'I thought it was a rag': Woman panics after bees build nest on her clothes rack, calls town council for help

A woman was mortified to find some uninvited guests in her home after returning from a short three-day trip to Malaysia. 

Tax consultant Ye told Shin Min Daily News that she found a bee nest on her clothes rack on Monday (Jan 29). 

The 29-year-old left for Malaysia last Friday (Jan 26), and only returned to her home at Block 17, Cantonment Close on Sunday. 

Ye said that she left the windows open over the weekend, and the house was empty while she was overseas. 

She did not notice the bees until she woke up on Monday morning. 

"At first I thought it was a rag, but when I looked closer I realised it was a honeycomb," said the frightened woman. 

Not knowing what to do, Ye took to Facebook to seek advice, and was told by netizens to contact her town council. 

The Tanjong Pagar Town Council told Shin Min that they received a call for assistance about the honeycomb on Ye's clothes rack. 

Pest control personnel were deployed to Ye's home and the nest was removed by noon on Monday. 

When interviewed by Shin Min, an employee of the Pest-Pro said this was the first time he's encountered a bee nest indoors. 

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The 42-year-old has been working as an exterminator for 12 years. 

He explained that they had to use pesticides to remove the bee nest due to the unstable nature of the clothes rack. As the bee nest was quite small, he managed to remove it in about two minutes. 

The exterminator cautioned members of the public not to use smoke to remove bee nests as it may cause the bees to become aggressive. 

The Tanjong Pagar Town Council also sent cleaners to Ye's unit remove the dead bees. 

John Chong, founder of Bee Amazed Garden at the University of Social Sciences, told Shin Min that the bees in Ye's home are small honey bees. 

These bees like to build their nests on horizontal bars, and Ye's clothes rack was considered a perfect spot for them, said the 65-year-old. 

Chong believed that the bees might have built a temporary nest on the clothes rack, and said that they were expected to move after a few days. 

"If you encounter these bees do not panic, as long as you do not aggravate them they will not sting. If they are obstructing your daily lives, do not try to get rid of them on your own and call a professional," he said. 

READ ALSO: It's so scary, says Woodlands resident after finding hundreds of dead bees at her doorstep

claudiatan@asiaone.com