You don’t often think of bees as being city-dwelling creatures, but this summer, Midtown Manhattan has been covered in the honey-producing insects.
Picture this: you’re grabbing lunch in Midtown Manhattan when suddenly the air fills with what sounds like a dozen leaf blowers going off at once. Except it’s not construction noise – it’s thousands of bees swirling around skyscrapers like they own the place. New Yorkers have seen everything, but even they stopped to stare at this wild spectacle that has everyone reaching for their phones.
Everything is buzzing
Suddenly, there’s a bee swarm in NYC, showing up in places you don’t expect. If you thought you’d be safe with your bee allergies in The Big Apple, think again. These swarms aren’t your normal group that might hover around some plants, especially those made to attract them, but they are swarming all over the place. These bees have shown up in such large numbers that people have captured them for their social media posts, calling them the Times Square bees or talking about a Manhattan bee invasion, which is something you don’t expect to see in a large city like New York.
Wildlife in the city
Normally, the only wildlife you think of in New York City, are the rats in the sewers, unless you believe the superstition that crocodiles or alligators reside below street level in the sewers as well. If you want to see other wildlife, it means a trip to the zoo, but the bees around the city must not have gotten the memo.
More than 200 species of bees call various parts of New York City home. This has led to some urban beekeeping on rooftops, but they also live in the trees, light poles, buildings, and homes. During other seasons, they are mostly dormant, but the summer bee activity means they could be on the move, looking for new homes and food sources. This has resulted in the bee swarms around NYC, which is a mostly unexpected phenomenon.
Some bee experts have stated that colonies often move together, which is normal bee colony behavior. When this happens, the entire swarm might land on a stationary object, such as a bicycle, garbage can, or street light, while searching for a new place to call home. The bees that exhibit this activity aren’t using those objects as homes, but are worker bees that await instructions from the scout bees, which are actively looking for the best places to call home. Once the scout bees find the right location, the worker bees join them and begin building the new hive for the entire colony.
Where have swarms been spotted?
The great bee swarm in NYC this summer has brought about a welcome distraction from other things going on in the world. Some people have spotted these massive swarms around Midtown, near West 38th Street and Seventh Avenue, while others have seen them near Radio City Music Hall on Sixth Avenue.
More hives means more bees
There has been a surge in Manhattan’s corporate rooftop beehives, which has led to more bees in the area than normal. These hives are usually managed to trick bees into staying in the rooftop hives created for them. It’s not been determined yet whether the increase in the number of bees around Manhattan is due to inexperienced beekeepers or feral hives with bees that aren’t managed or regulated.
No greenery is a big part of the problem
The lack of greenery around the city has led to a massive bee swarm taking over NYC. The activity is actually pretty regular and normal for bees, but it’s something you wouldn’t normally see or notice in the forest. Because Manhattan is literally a concrete jungle, there aren’t any trees to hide the swarms, which means these bees are out in the open and visible to most people.
Despite the lack of greenery, there seem to be more bees moving around the city than normal during most other summers.
Should beekeepers prevent swarming?
Urban beekeepers take on a nontraditional challenge, which is to prevent swarming as much as possible. When large clouds of bees are visible, especially on items that people use every day, it can become frustrating, disturbing, and cause a bit of panic. When keeping bees in the city, these keepers must help prevent the activity that would cause bees to swarm and seek out a new hive.
Another reason to ensure bees don’t engage in this activity is financial. Many people keep bees to collect the honey and sell it at local markets. If there aren’t any bees for the hive, there isn’t any honey to sell.
What are residents supposed to do?
To handle the bee swarm covering NYC, residents who see these swarms on city property are urged to call 911. The city has a small unit of officers who can arrive on the scene and handle the bee swarm. Sometimes, hobbyist beekeepers will show up and collect a few bees at no cost, while other beekeepers and pest control companies will charge a fee.
Considering the global worry over bee shortages, it’s best to avoid pest control companies that might kill the swarm of bees. Collecting these insects to be located in a new hive is the best solution for the planet and the people of New York City.
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