Bees swarm car parked at supermarket before firefighter removes them
Las Cruces, New Mexico - A man in New Mexico picked up a few unexpected passengers in his car while he was grocery shopping this week.
In fact, an estimated 15,000 bees swarmed into his car through an open window while he was shopping in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Sunday.
The Las Cruces Fire Department posted about the incident on Facebook Monday.
According to the Facebook post, the unidentified man had left his car window open while he went shopping at Albertson’s grocery store.
A man’s car was overrun by bees while he was grocery shopping earlier this week. (Las Cruces Fire Department)
When he was done, the man reportedly packed up his groceries in the car and started driving away before he noticed the bees.
Soon after 4 p.m. firefighters were called to the scene, where they found "a swarm of bees inside the vehicle," the post said.
The fire department also called an off-duty firefighter to the scene.
"After blocking off the immediate area to ensure the safety of nearby shoppers, Las Cruces firefighters called upon the services of off-duty firefighter Jesse Johnson who, in his spare time, is a beekeeper," the department wrote on Facebook.
It took off-duty firefighter and beekeeper Jesse Johnson about two hours to remove the bees. (Las Cruces Fire Department)
"Johnson arrived with the proper tools for the trade – a hive kit, lemongrass oil, gloves and proper attire – and was successful in removing the bees from the car and relocating them to a more suitable location," the department added.
According to the post, it took about two hours to remove about 15,000 bees from the car. They were taken to Johnson’s property, where he keeps his own bees.
According to the fire department, there were about 15,000 bees in the car. (Las Cruces Fire Department)
"A security guard at Albertson’s was stung and it is possible a few patrons may have had close encounters, but no major injuries were reported," the Las Cruces Fire Department wrote.
"The Las Cruces Fire Department does not regularly remove bee swarms," the department added at the end of its post. "However, to mitigate the mid-afternoon hazard the large swarm presented in a relatively high-traffic area, firefighters determined the best remedy was to have the swarm removed and relocated swiftly."