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More than 1,500 rare native bees were killed by pest controllers who thought they were wasps.

Council pest controllers thought they were responding to a wasp infestation, but ended up wiping out Welsh black honeybees.

The authority says it will now investigate why proper procedures weren’t followed.

Pest control staff took the decision to exterminate the insects after a resident reported them swarming in a dustbin, the Daily Post reports.

A bee keeper who lives less than two miles from where the mistake happened, at Llanfechell, Anglesey, said it was "a disaster".

Katie Hayward who runs the award-winning Felin Honeybees, said: “The Welsh Black Bee is, as you can probably tell from the name, native to this country.

“Efforts are underway to try and increase their population so, from a bee keeper’s point of view, its incredibly sad and very frustrating to see so many of them being unnecessarily killed.

“On more than one occasion I have spoken to pest control staff at the council and told them I’d be more than willing to help them.

“I know they’re very busy and short staffed, but I can’t emphasise enough how much of a disaster it is to see them killed like this.”

(Image: Brendon Croud)

The Welsh Black Bee is almost completely black and is the last survivor of the original British bee, once thought to have been largely wiped out by virus a century ago.

Black bees are darker and boast thicker, longer hair and a larger body than the golden-coloured, southern European bee, which allows them to keep them warm in cooler climates and more adaptable to British weather.

Twenty years ago, a project was set-up to try and boost black bee numbers among hive owners.

In response, a spokesman for Anglesey council said: “We work closely with local bee keepers in order to provide residents with options for dealing with honey bees.

“Normally, if an operator arrives on site and discovers that honey bees are present, they will advise the home owner to contact a bee keeper to assist.

“It appears that our usual procedure was not followed in this instance, and we will therefore be investigating the matter further.”