Swarm of bees stuns shoppers in Ann Arbor's Huron Village
A group of shoppers at Ann Arbor's Huron Village got a surprise Saturday afternoon when a large swarm of bees flew over the parking lot of the east-side retail center.
Roger Falles was getting into his vehicle with his daughter, Anne, after shopping at Whole Foods at about 3 p.m. when the bees - which he described as a large cloud - suddenly surrounded his car.
The swarm formed a 'ball' above the AT&T store in Huron Village after flying over the parking lot and startling shoppers on Saturday.
Roger Falles | For AnnArbor.com
"My first thought was killer bees," he said a few hours later, describing how he instinctively rolled up his window.
But the honey bees weren't dangerous - just traveling in numbers that startled him.
"It just looked like a wave of them coming through the whole parking lot," he said.
The bees - likely a cloud of at least 1,000 moving with a queen, based on entomologists' accounts of honey bee movement in the spring - then flew to the top of the multi-tenant retail building on the property at Washtenaw near Huron Parkway as the cloud dissipated.
"They seemed to pass through as quickly as they'd shown up," he said.
By the time Falles returned to see whether they were still there, they'd formed a tight ball above the AT&T store.
Falles said a neighbor raises honey bees and they come into his yard, where he's grown fond of watching them swim in his birdbath.
But the volume of bees that he saw for a few moments on Saturday was startling, he said.
He also noticed that people near his vehicle at the time the cloud rolled over the parking lot also seemed surprised to see them.
But, like Falles, they didn't panic. The bees, he said, seemed to strike them as both stunning but harmless, too.
"We just ... watched them, dumbfounded," he said.
Comments
Brendan Casey
Tue, May 15, 2012 : 1:18 p.m.
I'm not certain whether the swarm left on it's own or something else happened, I did notice the cluster was greatly diminished Monday compared to Sunday. I can report that in the process of talking with Martina, a representative of Mckinley properties (the landlord) about removing the swarm live, for the establishment of a hive, I learned Mckinley decided to call an exterminator instead.
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, May 13, 2012 : 11:30 a.m.
3 or 4 years ago A giant swarm of bees descended on my back yard in a similar fashion. Thousands I imagined at the time. They took up residence about 15-18 feet up in a knot hole in my Hickory tree. They were there for 2 summers, then last summer they were "gone". I don't know if they left or all died over the winter. In either case I enjoyed there presence and wish they were still there.
jns131
Sun, May 13, 2012 : 2:33 p.m.
I would not have enjoyed that at all. I would imagine they have flown the coop and to another hickory tree. Hopefully not mine.
marylea
Sun, May 13, 2012 : 4:49 a.m.
I can't tell if the photo with the article is supposed to be showing the swarm of bees or not. Those just look like clouds. ?
treetowncartel
Sun, May 13, 2012 : 3 a.m.
Is this the buzz of the day?
Tru2Blu76
Sun, May 13, 2012 : 1:38 a.m.
I've been a little concerned because, while walking and biking in A2 parks, I've seen no honey bees, only bumble bees as of last weekend. It was the hottest March on record for this area, followed by some nights at or below freezing: this has altered the blooming patterns of some flowers so of course it may have affected honey bees too. This on top of the much publicized Colony Collapse Disorder, I think, is cause for some concern.
LA
Sat, May 12, 2012 : 11:52 p.m.
very cool. wish I would have seen it!
jns131
Sun, May 13, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
Bees for some reason are extremely attracted to school buses. One morning I opened the door and suddenly 10 bees came flying out at me. Drivers compartment. Let me tell you, not a fun way to start any afternoon. I got help getting out of the bus but after this? I do not like bees period.
Paula Gardner
Sat, May 12, 2012 : 10:03 p.m.
Typo fixed! Thank you.
DBH
Sat, May 12, 2012 : 9:59 p.m.
Yeah, you can bet I'd be startled, too. You have a typo in the article: "But the volume of bees that he saw for a few months on Saturday was startling, he said." Minutes, not months.
DBH
Sat, May 12, 2012 : 10 p.m.
OK, or moments. ;-)