Up to 15,000 bees take over a bicycle in central Paris
The owner of the bicycle had left it secured by metro station next to the Louvre
Thousands of bees gathered under the saddle were safely removed by beekeeper
Shutterstock/Prochasson Frederic and Citybzz instagram
A cluster of several thousand bees settled beneath a bike seat near the Louvre this weekend, forcing authorities to close a metro entrance before a beekeeper safely removed the swarm.
The bicycle, located near the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre metro station, had been tied up on Saturday afternoon for barely 30 minutes when passers-by noticed something unusual forming beneath the seat.
Within moments, an estimated 10 - 15,000 bees had clustered tightly together, creating a dense, moving mass that quickly drew attention.
Concerned onlookers alerted the RATP (Paris’s public transport authority), which responded by securing the area and temporarily closing access to the station entrance to ensure public safety. The city authorities were also alerted, and a call was put out for volunteer beekeepers. However, none were immediately available.
It was only a couple of hours later, around 18:30, that Volkan Tanaci, beekeeper and founder of honey processing house CityBzz, arrived at the scene…by bicycle.
By then, the owner of the swarm-laden bicycle could no longer get close to it. “I saw a rather old bicycle and this famous swarm,” Mr Tanaci told Le Parisien. Working carefully and wearing protective equipment, he removed the bees in an operation that lasted around an hour.
Although the sight appeared dramatic, Mr Tanaci indicated that at this time of the year bees are generally less aggressive during swarming. For that reason, onlookers and tourists were able to watch from a safe distance and even take photos.
The bees were transferred into a hive and relocated to a rooftop in the 13th arrondissement, where they have since settled and begun foraging, particularly on acacia flowers.
According to Mr Tanaci, the incident is a classic example of seasonal swarming. In spring, when a hive becomes overcrowded, the queen and part of the colony leave to find a new home.
During this transition, bees often gather temporarily, whether in trees, chimneys, or, in this case, under a bicycle seat.
The unusual rescue, though, may yet come with a small reward for Mr Tanaci, who posted the story on social media with a caption stating: “Looking forward to tasting what our new friends are making.”
