Engulfing parked cars and blanketing inner-city street signs – New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is in the midst of an unusually large bee swarming season, that experts say has been exacerbated by a milder than usual winter.

The Auckland Beekeepers Association says it is fielding five to 10 calls a day, requesting assistance to remove swarms of bees – with individual members of the association being contacted for help as well.

“In past years, it was under five a day,” said Bryan Lang, the association’s swarm control coordinator, adding the team has now dealt with at least 100 call-outs.

In October, a swarm plastered the back of a parked car in Birkenhead for two hours according to witnesses.…