Thousands of Bees Swarm Vehicle Parked at Supermarket in New Mexico

An off-duty firefighter helped remove a colony of bees that swarmed a vehicle parked at a supermarket in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Sunday, March 28, the Las Cruces Fire Department (LCFD) said.

According to LCFD, the fire department does not usually remove bees but one of their own, firefighter Jesse Johnson, happens to have a hobby as a beekeeper.

“Johnson arrived with the proper tools for the trade – a hive kit, lemongrass oil, gloves and proper attire – and was successful in removing the bees from the car and relocating them to a more suitable location, LCFD wrote on Facebook. “Estimated 15,000 bees were removed and relocated to Johnson’s property that’s outside of city limits. The fire crew was on scene for nearly two hours while the bees were removed and rehomed. A security guard at Albertson’s was stung and it is possible a few patrons may have had close encounters, but no major injuries were reported.”

Video filmed by supermarket patron Tony Contreras shows the swarm of bees in the vehicle before they were removed. Credit: Tony Contreras via Storyful