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If the bees are dying at an alarming rate, it sure seems that nobody informed the massive swarm of them that took over a downtown city block in Philadelphia recently.
Ryan Novozinsky, who covers the Philadelphia Eagles for the Philadelphia Inquirer, first posted a video of what looked like hundreds, if not thousands, of bees gathered around an intersection near Market Street near Center City.
“There is a massive — and I mean MASSIVE — swarm of bees on Market Street in Philadelphia right now,” Novozinsky posted on X alongside a video of the swarm.
There is a massive — and I mean MASSIVE — swarm of bees on Market Street in Philadelphia right now.@PhillyInquirer pic.twitter.com/0jxhvEj4qE
— Ryan Novozinsky (@ryannovoNFL) May 8, 2026
The video shows some residents walking through unbothered, but significantly more looked up into the sky and walked in a different direction with concerned looks on their faces.
Why Are There So Many Bees In Philadelphia?
While this may seem like a one-off event, it’s actually part of what is likely to be a long month of bees buzzing around the city, according to a recent article by Krisitin Hunt of PhillyVoice.
According to Hunt, Philadelphia Bee Company has already been swarmed with calls and has been buzzing around the city handling bee removals.
“The swarms are really — they’re pretty docile,” the company’s owner, Don Shump said of the situation. “This is the most docile we’ll find bees.”
So what’s with all the buzz?
According to Hunt, the city is currently in peak season for swarming, a natural reproduction process that involves colonies splitting in two, leading to a new queen reigning over the splintered group. Shum told Hunt that he expects the situation to continue throughout spring and into the summer.
“I would say after Fourth of July, the swarms pretty much stop,” he explained.
The good news for residents is that the bees rarely present a threat.
Shump states that it’s unusual for the bees to land on cars, and they don’t typically swarm in bad weather. Typically, the swarms stick near trees and tend not to bother humans.
“If you see the swarms, it’s nothing to fret over,” Shump said. “You don’t have to panic. They’re really intimidating, particularly when they land, but if you see one, you can call us at the Philadelphia Bee Company, you can call your local beekeeper, and we will come and pick those up.”
That’s news that the city, and its visitors, will be happy to hear as it gets set to begin a busy summer celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence.