A swarm of bees took up residence at the Michigan State Capitol, officials said on Monday, May 18.
“Everyone enjoys a visit to the Capitol, even bees! This morning our facilities staff removed a swarm of bees from one of the stone urns on the east steps. The bees will be rehomed with a local beekeeper,” according to a post Monday afternoon on the Michigan state Capitol Facebook page.
The page shared images of a honeybee swarm on one of the finials on the staircase on the west side of the Capitol building.
A beekeeper cloaked in a netted hate and heavy coat and gloves can bee seen shepherding the bees into a box.
Bees swarm for various reasons, including the need for more space than their former home offered, according to Perfect Bee Academy.
Typically, the original queen and about half the hive will swarm, or leave, and other bees will remain and wait for a new queen to emerge from a cell in the original hive.
MSU Extension said a swarm is a fully functioning hive and can include thousands of bees.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Honeybees took up residence at Michigan Capitol. What happened to them
Reporting by Dan Basso, USA TODAY NETWORK / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
