BROOKLYN — Thousands of bees were killed in Fort Greene Friday when an onlooker poured sugar water on the swarm after they fell out of a tree, preventing them from flying away and leading some to be crushed by cars, officials said.
Det. Anthony Planakis, the NYPD's bee expert known as "Tony Bees," said that he was livid in the wake of the 1 p.m. incident at 267 Waverly Ave., near Dekalb Avenue, and said a beekeeper who didn't properly attend to a hive was to blame.
"This really pisses me off because people try to fix things themselves and don’t know what they’re doing," he said.
According to Planakis, a swarm of about 15,000 bees, weighing around 5 pounds, was on a branch that broke, sending most of the swarm cascading to the ground.
There, someone poured sugar water on them. In the heat, the solution became viscous, preventing the bees from flying away, Planakis said.
Cars eventually ran over the swarm, killing most of them, and others died from exertion, he said.
He sprayed water on the rest in the hopes of freeing those that were still alive.
"This is a disgrace," he said. "A beekeeper wouldn't let this happen."
Planakis attributed the incident to a beekeper who kept a hive that was overcrowded, which causes bees to swarm. There was a hive on a nearby rooftop but it was not clear if the Italian honeybees originated there.
He does not believe that many of the insects will survive, but those that do will likely regroup with the 1,000 or so bees that remained up in the tree.
Planakis said that the was awaiting a bucket truck to remove the rest of the surviving bees.
"It's a shame," he said.
