The queen bee from that 2023 Indy 500 swarm now has a thriving hive — and she needs a name
May in Indianapolis means the roar of engines at the track. But this year, there's another noise associated with the 500-mile race: the hum of thousands of bees.
During the 2023 Indy 500, bees swarmed in the stands at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Our sports team at the track reported that the swarm led some spectators to flee the stands. But they didn't come to attack race fans; they were looking for a new home. And they found one.
Where did the Indy 500 bees go?
Local beekeeper Ross Harding, who came after the race to relocate the bees, said he estimated there were about 12,000-16,000 bees in the IMS swarm. He located the queen, moved her to a temporary box and waited for the rest of the honeybees to follow her.
Today at Sticky Fingers Farm in Indianapolis, there's hive box painted with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway logo. It's where the swarm from last year's race found their home. And one of those bees was at last year's race.
Worker bees only live a few weeks once they've developed, according to britannica.com, but queens can live for a few years. The same queen from the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 remains in her special box. And her team is loud. Harding said when he checked on them after last winter, they were roaring. He called them the noisiest bees in the yard.
"They were off to the races," he said. Harding cares for bees all over the state, and he said hers is "one of the best hives I have."
Harding said she's the type of queen beekeepers want to have in their hives, and he's giving her extra space to keep her healthy. And it seems to be working — she's laying plenty of eggs.
"Every day, that queen is laying 1,200 to 2,000 eggs," he said. "It really, really adds up quickly."
She won't be around forever — and University of Maryland entomologists found in 2022 that lab-kept honey bees had a life span 50% shorter than in the 1970s. But Harding hopes some of her female descendants will have their own hives someday. And as for the worker bees, Harding said, they're making plenty of honey.
The Indy 500 queen bee needs a name
At the time, Harding said he wondered if the queen bee should have a racing-related name. But when we checked in this year, he hadn't yet given her a name. We're giving our readers a chance to help name the queen.
Cast your vote by noon Thursday, May 23. We'll announce the winning name on Friday, May 24. If you do not see the poll above, click here.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500's queen bee from 2023 IMS swarm needs a name
