Why are thousands of bees swarming across New York City? These videos could ‘terrify’ you

In recent weeks, hundreds and thousands of bees have buzzed through Midtown Manhattan, clustering around light poles and even clinging to sidewalk scaffolding. Despite how "fascinating and terrifying" such swarms may look, experts say they’re usually not dangerous.

Multiple social media posts and videos this week captured the “biblical” swarms. “It’s a fascinating and terrifying experience,” said Nick Rozak, head beekeeper at the nonprofit Bee University NYC, was quoted by the New York Post as saying.

He further described the incidents as: “You’re standing there, and there’s 20 or 30,000 bees in a tornado flying through Midtown Manhattan. It’s definitely going to make people pay attention.”

A New York University student, who works in the area, reportedly shot a video showing passersby attempting to walk through the swarm of bees and traffic at 47th Street and Sixth Avenue.

Why bees are swarming now?

It's 'bee season'.

More than 200 species of bees live in New York City, often hiding out in buildings, rotting wood, and green spaces. Swarming peaks in summer as bees search for food and new shelter.

Moreover, a colony of thousands of bees may form a swarm when it is time to leave their hive and form a new one. In the process, it's possible that bee swarms may land on a “stationary object”.

“Swarms occur when the bees need more room to expand and essentially would like to form a new colony,” Siri Chillara, a chemical engineer and urban beekeeper, was quoted by a report as saying.

But Nick Rozak asserts the bees aren’t setting up a new home on bicycles or traffic lights, He told the New York Post that worker bees are just “hanging out waiting for further instructions”, while scout bees actively look for more hospitable spots for a permanent hive.

'Very regular behaviour'

Nick Hoefly, a certified master beekeeper and New York Bee Club administration director, told The Post that swarming behavior is “very regular” for bees.

He noted that Midtown’s swarming is easy to see due to a lack of greenery.

He further explained that a surge in Manhattan’s corporate rooftop beehives also led to a density in bees that’s a “little higher" than what Midtown can handle.

“As an urban beekeeper, it’s part of our responsibility to actually prevent swarming,” he said. “It’s healthy for the bee to do that, but in an urban setting, we try our best to prevent it,” he added.

Is a bee swarm dangerous? ‘It looks terrifying’

Chillara said swarms like those spotted across the city as of late are bees “that are not necessarily violent or aggressive because they don’t have a hive to protect.”

Rozak also asserted that bee swarms are not dangerous, and the bees are “extremely docile” when they’re in a swarm because they’re not protecting babies, food or shelter.

“It looks terrifying, but you could literally just stand in the middle,” he said — unless, of course, you’re allergic.