10,000 Honeybees Swarm Under Bicycle Seat in Central Paris: Why a Beekeeper Was Dispatched in an Emergency

Subway Entrance Temporarily Closed for Safety Concerns
Beekeeper Transfers Swarm to Hive in One Hour
Incident Attributed to Springtime 'Swarming' Behavior in Search of New Home

In the heart of downtown Paris, France, about 10,000 honeybees swarmed under a bicycle seat, causing a commotion as traffic authorities, concerned for pedestrian safety, temporarily closed subway entrances.

According to Yonhap News on April 28, which cited the daily Le Parisien and other sources, a swarm of bees gathered under the seat of a bicycle parked at a subway station railing in central Paris, causing inconvenience for those trying to pass by.

In the heart of downtown Paris, France, about 10,000 honeybees gathered under a bicycle seat, causing a commotion. Concerned for pedestrian safety, the transportation authorities temporarily closed a subway entrance. franceinfo

The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. local time on April 25. At that time, the Paris Transit Authority (RATP) received a report that a large swarm of bees had gathered under the seat of a bicycle parked near a subway station railing in central Paris. An estimated several thousand to about 10,000 honeybees were densely clustered under the bicycle seat. Especially as the bees gathered near the subway entrance, pedestrians and tourists found their passage restricted.

To prevent any potential accidents, RATP temporarily closed the affected subway entrance and requested assistance from Paris City Hall. Responding to the call, a beekeeper arrived at the scene in protective gear and began removing the swarm. With both hands, he carefully detached the bees clinging to the underside of the bicycle seat and transferred them into a beehive he had prepared in advance. The operation lasted about an hour, and no injuries were reported. The beekeeper told local media, "Everything went smoothly," adding, "At this time of year, the bees are relatively docile, so people could get quite close." He also mentioned, "I saw some tourists taking pictures." After collecting all the bees, he transported them to an apiary in southern Paris.

In the heart of downtown Paris, approximately 10,000 honeybees swarmed under a bicycle saddle, causing a commotion that led traffic authorities to temporarily close a subway entrance out of concern for pedestrian safety. franceinfo

Experts explained that this incident appears to be a natural springtime phenomenon known as 'swarming.' Swarming occurs when an existing hive becomes too crowded, prompting the queen bee and some worker bees to form a new group and move in search of a new home. The beekeeper explained, "When the queen bee signals to the others that there's no more room in the hive, the bees must move together. At that point, scout bees set out to find a new location to settle."

He added, "Some bees choose trees or chimneys, while others might pick a bicycle. It seems the bee that found that bicycle did a great job promoting it to its companions," he joked. It is still unknown where this particular swarm originated. However, local reports indicate that as the weather warms during this season, it's quite common for honeybees to temporarily gather in various parts of the city while searching for a new home.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.