DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — More than 6,000 swarming bees were removed from scaffolding in Downtown Brooklyn Monday afternoon, officials said.
Detective Anthony Planakis, the NYPD’s bee expert, estimated a swarm on Schermerhorn between Bond and Hoyt streets contained about 6,000 to 8,000 bees.
The average-sized swarm, made up of “Italian honey bees,” was “relatively docile,” he added.
“They’re looking for a new home now,” he said. "That’s all it is."
While dealing with the insects, Planakis said his main concerns were public safety for humans and bees alike.
Planakis – known as “Tony Bees” – approached the swarm on a bucket truck and used a vacuum to gently remove the bees from the scaffolding. The bees will be humanely relocated to an apiary in upstate New York, he said.
In May, Planakis took down a swarm with more than 30,000 bees in Queens.