On Wednesday, a Delta Airlines commercial flight from Houston to Atlanta experienced an unexpected delay when hundreds of bees swarmed the tip of the airplane wing. Passengers were shocked and perplexed when the plane was held at the gate and the flight was delayed for four hours.
The incident began when the plane pulled up to the gate and the bees immediately began to swarm the wing. Airport personnel attempted to call a beekeeper to hive the bees but were unsuccessful due to regulations requiring beekeepers to not touch airplanes. They also attempted to call pest control and the fire department, but neither could help.
The captain then made the decision to taxi the plane in an effort to shake the bees off, which worked as soon as the engines were powered up. The plane was transferred to another gate and the passengers were able to board the flight around 4:30 p.m.
A local apiarist, Mike Sexton, explained that this kind of swarm is common this time of year. He explained that the bees were most likely just resting, as “they usually start in the south and they move towards the north. Whenever bee swarms start, they’re going to gorge themselves with a bunch of honey and the old queen is going to take off with a bunch of workers so they’re not going to eat again until they actually get to a new home, so in the meantime they rest and conserve their energy, so they land on anything.”
The bee incident prompted passengers to take to social media to document the ordeal, sparking a wave of reactions and discussions about the delay.
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. But how on earth will this happen? Won’t they leave the wing when we take off? pic.twitter.com/DhodBz0m5n
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) May 3, 2023
Tried to blow exhaust from vehicle on the wing tip. Bees were not impressed. pic.twitter.com/ew4x6t0f04
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) May 3, 2023
