Posted on 05/04/2023 11:52:41 AM PDT by Red Badger
May 4 (UPI) -- A flight from Houston to Atlanta was delayed for about three hours when thousands of bees swarmed on the wing of the airplane.
Passenger Anjali Enjeti posted photos of the bees to Twitter and documented the experience of the delayed Delta Airlines flight at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
"My flight leaving Houston is delayed because bees have congregated on the tip of one of the wings. They won't let us board until they remove the bees," Enjeti tweeted.
Enjeti said the plane's captain announced a beekeeper would not be removing the insects due to not being allowed to touch the plane, and pest control would not be allowed to spray the bees. The airport was also unable to use a hose to spray the wing with water.
Enjeti said the bees finally dispersed when the plane's engine was turned on so it could make way for another flight to use the gate.
"Bee-lieve it or not, Delta flight 1682 from Houston-Bush to Atlanta took a delay this afternoon after a friendly group of bees evidently wanted to talk shop with the winglet of our airplanes, no doubt to share the latest about flying conditions at the airport," Delta officials said in a statement to CBS News.
Delta said the flight was delayed for about three hours before departing for Atlanta.
I guess they don’t have de-icing equipment in Houston. That would have blasted the bees away, if not dead.
They didn’t want to kill them................
Uh, start flying? The bees won’t be there for long. WTH?
Must be my insensitive side showing again. (Not that there’s a sensitive side.)
It’ the time of year, full moon and warm, dry weather......................
Now they know the bees will fly away if the just start the engines.................
Bet that was one honey of a flight
2-3 cans of Raid and boom
Why wasn’t a beekeeper allowed to touch the plane? You can be too paranoid.
“Is that stupidity a TSA or FAA thing?”
My guess: a union thing.
Nobody wanted to get into apis sing match.
Glad they didn’t spray them. All you have to do is wait when bees do this, and they’ll normally disperse on their own.When they swarm like that, they are normally protecting the queen whist others look for a place to relocate to.
Swarms are gentle.
I have captured swarms from trees and eaves of houses while wearing just shorts and a tee shirt.
Extra points for parody verse of “Eric the Half-a-Bee”.
They re-routed a palate of honeybee colonies that were supposed to be flown directly from California to Alaska to Atlanta where they sat in the hot sun where most perished.
Every year, Alaskan beekeepers import package bees to replace hives lost to our harsh winters.
Local Atlanta beekeepers were able to salvage about 10% of the bees, but it was a tragic loss for Alaskan beekeepers.
Bad press for Delta too....
I doubt any sane beekeeper would want anything to do with an airplane about to take off. Even if he didn’t do anything to affect the flight, if the plane crashed, he would be swarmed by lawsuits.
BLM....Bee Lives Matter!!!!!!
Just take off...500 mph slipstream will blow them off.
I would think having the bees help with the flying would bee a good thing.
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