Big Apple commuters experienced havoc Wednesday during rush hour as bees swarmed the New York City Subway.
During rush hour, commuters at the Flushing-Main Street station in Downtown Flushing encountered an unusual and noisy obstacle—a large swarm of bees. The swarm was so dense that it made the station’s green railings look dirty and was a real deterrent for anyone wanting to take the subway.
Hundreds of bees were seen buzzing overhead and covering the station door in a video shot by New York City Photos. Less daring commuters had to find an alternate means of boarding the seven train as the bees buzzed overhead, compelling straphangers to face the swarm and enter the Downtown Flushing station.
The swarm was initially noticed at around 5:30 p.m. By Thursday morning; the swarm had diminished in size due to some of the measures taken to clear the bees out.
The MTA took precautions by blocking off the impacted door and advising riders to use alternative entrances.
It’s not known if the New York Police Department’s specific beekeeping section was involved in dealing with this swarm.
Tens of thousands of bees swarmed Times Square last June. The NYPD sealed off part of the popular tourist site as a beekeeper went out to save what were identified as honeybees.
A viral TikTok video showed swarms of bees engulfing Times Square and swarming onto a nearby structure. Michal Samuni Blank—the man behind the camera—dialed 911. After the bees had been swarming for around 15 minutes, she remembered a similar issue from the past that was handled by the NYPD and decided to take action.
A comparable situation happened in the summer of 2021 when 25,000 bees invaded Times Square. The NYPD Beekeeper, Officer Mays, saved the bees and relocated them to a safe place.
Additionally, in 2018, a hotdog vendor had to have hundreds of bees removed from its umbrella due to an invasion.
