Photo: Facebook/LCFD
That’s what you call an unexpected end to a routine, very short shopping trip. One man from Las Cruces, New Mexico, found his car became the new home of about 15,000 bees during the 10 minutes he spent inside a local supermarket.
It happened last weekend, and the Las Cruces Fire Department handled the situation, though beekeeping is not what they do. But it is what firefighter Jesse Johnson does and, though he was off-duty at the time, he agreed to come in and lend a hand—and his 10-year beekeeping experience.
The man’s identity hasn’t been made public, but his story is getting plenty of attention for all the obvious reasons. He borrowed a friend’s car, a Buick, for a quick stop at the supermarket and, because it was so hot outside, left one of the rear windows open. When he came back out, he threw his groceries in the trunk and actually started to drive off before realizing he had 15,000 bees in there with him.
He called 911 because he didn’t know what else to do, the NY Times reports. Jesse Johnson, one of the firefighters with the LCFD, came in and offered to help out so as not to waste any more time. Considering this was a heavy-trafficked area at an hour when more people could come in, immediate action was required.
Johnson recovered all the bees and relocated them to his farm, where he has several beehives. He tells the publication they weighed 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) collectively and that “they were pretty docile.” It’s not uncommon in spring for bees to break away from a hive and follow a queen in search of a new home. Since they don’t have a territory to defend, they’re more docile.
Two people did get stung, though, and neither of them was the poor fellow who unwillingly got in a car with 15,000 honey bees and drove off.
The man’s identity hasn’t been made public, but his story is getting plenty of attention for all the obvious reasons. He borrowed a friend’s car, a Buick, for a quick stop at the supermarket and, because it was so hot outside, left one of the rear windows open. When he came back out, he threw his groceries in the trunk and actually started to drive off before realizing he had 15,000 bees in there with him.
He called 911 because he didn’t know what else to do, the NY Times reports. Jesse Johnson, one of the firefighters with the LCFD, came in and offered to help out so as not to waste any more time. Considering this was a heavy-trafficked area at an hour when more people could come in, immediate action was required.
Johnson recovered all the bees and relocated them to his farm, where he has several beehives. He tells the publication they weighed 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) collectively and that “they were pretty docile.” It’s not uncommon in spring for bees to break away from a hive and follow a queen in search of a new home. Since they don’t have a territory to defend, they’re more docile.
Two people did get stung, though, and neither of them was the poor fellow who unwillingly got in a car with 15,000 honey bees and drove off.
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