Bee Swarms Scare and Sting New Yorkers

Swarms of bees have descended in New York, covering the atmosphere with yellow and black and causing citizens to fear getting stung. One swarm covered the side-view mirror of a Volvo, trapping a family of three inside. Another cluster bent a tree branch in front of a Chase bank in Lower East Side Manhattan, while one more group sent diners at ta South Street Seaport restaurant to other locations when they carpeted a two-foot tall standpipe. The black and yellow insects are everywhere, and some people aren’t sure what to do. When the South Street Seaport restaurant was hit by the swarms, the owner called 311, contacted security guards, and notified local news outfits. Naturally, the news stations were the first to arrive, catching film of guests flailing their arms at the little, stinging honeybees. Eventually, the New York Police Department arrived with a metal swarm box and a vacuum the approximately 17,500 homeless bees that were all over the patio.

The police say that New York has never experienced so much swarming, and one police officer told The New York Times that he has attended to 31 bee problems in the past few months. So far, no one has reported any serious injuries from the swarms. However, when a person with allergies is stung by one of these little creatures, it can pack a serious, even fatal, punch. The New York City Beekeepers Association is willing to take any stray swarms of bees, and the police say that they are doing everything they can to control the swarms before they injure someone. If you are in a location where a swarm arrives and you are stung, and the incident could have been prevented with better safety measures, then you may want to consider seeking damages. This is especially true if you are allergic to bees or if you received multiple painful welts. Talk to a personal injury lawyer for more information.