DENVER — The Colorado Rockies weren't at home Wednesday, but Coors Field was buzzing with a different sort of crowd.
About 15,000 bees swarmed outside the downtown ballpark Wednesday morning. It's normal bee behavior to swarm in the spring. This hive was collected and will get a new home at an aviary near Standley Lake, thanks to the Colorado State Beekeepers Association.
"We have beekeepers. They have empty hives, they're ready to go," said Gregg McMahon, a professional beekeeper in Westminster who collected the Coors Field bees. "They want to come out and save these bees. We want to rescue these swarms."
Bee swarm season in Colorado starts in early April, and the busiest months are May and June, according to the beekeepers association.
A swarm happens when a hive becomes overcrowded, causing the old queen and about half the hive to leave and find a new home.
Anyone who spots a swarm should not attempt to kill them. These are "survivor bees" that are crucial to environmental health.
Instead, call the Colorado State Beekeepers Association hotline at 844-SPY-BEES (844-779-2337). A volunteer beekeeper will be dispatched to collect the bees and move them to a new home for free.
> Video below: Watch Gregg McMahon shake a tree branch full of bees into a box, aired in May 2019.
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