A bee swarm near downtown Houston was safely relocated after stinging Astros fans heading to see the team.
HOUSTON — A large bee swarm near downtown Houston has been safely removed after stinging several Astros fans walking to Daikin Park, officials said.
The nonprofit “Bee and Me” handled the relocation, extracting an estimated 60,000 bees from a tree close to the ballpark using smoke and vacuum techniques to locate and protect the queen.
“This is really not a good spot for them for a number of reasons,” said Carlos Hernandez with Bee and Me, which also educates children about the importance of honey bees.
The bees had settled in a low-hanging tree branch along a busy pedestrian route leading to the stadium. Their proximity to crowds created a safety hazard, prompting the intervention.
“I’ll smoke them a little bit, then I’ll start vacuuming some up,” Hernandez said, explaining the process. “Then I’m gonna start smoking more, a little heavier, to move them off the honeycomb and continue vacuuming. Once I’ve got most of them, I’ll start removing the honeycomb and looking for the queen.”
KHOU 11 Chief Meteorologist David Paul, who has 10 years of bee keeping experience, was surprised about how little protective gear Hernandez wore during the removal.
“That guy had nothing on his arms,” he said. “I’m always completely covered, but some people just have that magic vibe with bees.”
Experts said the recent spike in Houston’s temperatures may have contributed to the bees’ aggressive behavior, although the exact cause of the stings remains unclear.
Despite the risks, both experts emphasized the importance of preserving bee populations.
“Bees are considered the most important animal on Earth,” Hernandez said. “They deserve more than just a day of recognition. If they disappeared, so would we.”
The bees will now be relocated to a safer environment, where they can continue to play a vital role in pollination and the broader ecosystem.