Swarm of 20,000 Bees Found On Sidewalk In Austin, Texas (VIDEO)

A swarm of bees nesting on a tree in Austin, Texas was so big that it took two days to remove, prompting officials to partially close a city street to keep people from getting too close to the swarm.

The swarm was estimated to contain 20,000 bees and was spotted by locals Sunday. By Monday the beekeeper called to address the swarm had taken away about 75 percent of the bees.

A sapling growing along a sidewalk in the Texas capital's warehouse district is an unlikely place for so many bees to gather at once, but according to beekeeper Wes Schumacher it made sense.

"The queen landed here. The colony follows where the queen goes. She chose that spot on that sapling, and that's where they hang out until the scout bees can find a suitable home for them to move to," said Schumacher, according to a report by Austin news station KVUE.

Schumacher, who removed most of the swarm by hand, said it's likely that there is a large colony of bees close by.

The any straggling bees will eventually die in the absence of the queen bee.

Locals are relieved to see the swarm removed, citing concerns over the safety of people on the highly-trafficked street.

"Considering that this is the second biggest street for partying, I think it's very dangerous. People coming down here to party will anger the bees even more," said local Taylor Hamilton.

Although Austin's swarm of 20,000 bees seems fairly large, overall bees have been dying off in increasing numbers in recent years.

According to NPR, experts say habitat loss and disease are the biggest threats to bee populations.