The council responsible for poisoning thousands of bees in the eastern Sydney suburb of Paddington is facing swarms of criticism for the drastic action.

The move to spray the bees with poison rather than relocate the hive attracted backlash online, after the ABC reported that up to 50,000 bees could have been exterminated.

Worker bees on the job. Credit:James Alcock

A spokeswoman for Woollahra Council said that expert advice provided to the council advised them that relocation wasn't an option.

"An expert assessment of the hive, located just above head-height on a low-hanging tree, determined that it could not be relocated because it had had been infected by a beetle."