Pasan Nanayakkara
As we go about our daily lives, we often take for granted the intricate and fascinating ways of the natural world. But sometimes, even in the most unexpected of places, we are reminded of the incredible behaviors and instincts that drive the creatures that share our planet with us. Such was the case in Haverfordwest, West Wales, where a swarm of honeybees recently made headlines for chasing a car for several days in an effort to rescue their trapped queen.
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It all began when 68-year-old grandmother Carol Howarth left a wilderness preserve a few kilometers from her home in her Mitsubishi Outlander. Unbeknownst to her, a royal queen bee had broken into her car. As the bees have a remarkable loyalty to their leadership, several honeybee colonies began chasing Carol’s car in search of their queen.
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The scene was quite a spectacle for the residents of Haverfordwest, with many stopping to take photos of the “huge brown splodge” of bees on the car. Local guard Tom Moses, a ranger for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, was initially concerned for the safety of both the bees and the public, as the car was parked in the heart of town in front of a bar.
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But the situation was far from resolved when the beekeepers arrived on the scene. Carol had run to a nearby store, leaving the bees to their own devices, and they had not yet found their way back to their colony.
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The beekeepers, led by Roger Burns of Pembrokeshire Beekeepers, soon discovered that the queen bee had likely been attracted to a crack in the car’s wiper blade or hinge of the door, and around 20,000 bees had gathered on the trunk of the car in search of her.
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It was an unusual and unique situation, even for a beekeeper with 30 years of experience like Roger Burns. But he and his team were able to safely reunite the colony with their queen, and no one was harmed in the process.
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This incident serves as a reminder of the incredible loyalty and determination of honeybees, and the crucial role they play in our ecosystem. As we continue to face threats to honeybee populations such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and disease, it is important to remember the importance of these hardworking insects and the efforts we can make to protect them.
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In conclusion, the story of the car swarmed by honeybees in Haverfordwest, West Wales is both fascinating and important in highlighting the remarkable loyalty of the queen bees and the role of honeybees in our ecosystem. We need to be more conscious of our actions and how they affect the natural world.
