Swarm of 30,000 Bees Descends on Bike in Tribeca
On Sunday, June 16, a huge swarm of bees descended on a bike near the Tribeca and SoHo neighborhoods of New York City, requiring the aid of the NYPD beekeepers to rescue the bees and free up the bike.
The two-person NYPD team, which is made up of Michael Lauriano and Darren Mays, rescues bees across the five boroughs of NYC.
Lauriano responded to the Tribeca call, and arrived to see roughly 30,000 bees swarming the bike.
Whenever bees swarm—like on the bike—it is actually a separation of the hive, which happens when the hive becomes too large, and the bees must divide into two separate ones, Lauriano told Bicycling.
So what brought 30,000 bees to a bike? The answer is actually more simple than you would think: It’s likely the queen bee simply stopped on the bike for a quick rest, and the rest of the hive followed along.
Lauriano was able to safely remove all the bees, leaving the bike clear and ready to ride. After the rescue, he transported the little buzzers to his personal apiary on Long Island, where, as he explained, he would be able to better care for them than he would if they stayed in the city.
I was on my way to celebrate Father’s Day with the fam when I was called in to take care of this swarm in TriBeCa, so I took my very own queen bee & baby queen with me. Bees were removed safely and my daughter now has 30,000 new sisters 👍 -Officer Lauriano #HappyFathersDay pic.twitter.com/bjgEP5aCwq
— NYPD Bees (@NYPDBees) June 17, 2019
The bike swarm marks the 10th such swarm the city has already seen this season, Lauriano said. That matches the total for all of last year—something promising for the population growth of the endangered insects, though probably not viewed as positively by the cyclist who locked up his bike only to have it become a hive.
As for what you should do if you see a bee swarm, whether it is on your bike or somewhere else? If you live in New York City, it is as simply as calling 911, Lauriano said.
“When you call, they will send in a unit to assess the situation, and then quarter off the area,” Lauriano said. “They don’t want you getting too close out of curiosity.”
For everyone else, if you find yourself with a hive that needs to be removed, keep your distance, and contact a local beekeeper. Don’t know who that is? Check the American Beekeeper’s Federation, which gives you a direct link to find a beekeeper in your area.
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