The Stuck Queen Bee: 10,000 Bees Follow Car for Days

A peculiar scene unfolded in Wales when an enormous swarm of nearly 10,000 bees persisted on clinging to Carol Howarth's car for two days, after their queen unintentionally got trapped inside the vehicle.

The incident began when Howarth was out running errands in Haverfordwest. She had no idea of the commotion at the back of her car until Tom Moses, a local resident, spotted the unexpected sight. "I was driving when I noticed a massive brown cluster on one of the cars," Moses recounted. "A lot of people were stunned and started taking pictures. Cars slowed down and people began to capture the bizarre scene with their cameras."

Considering the public location, Moses worried that the bees might pose a threat, and immediately called a local beekeeper. "I was also concerned someone might do something foolish and harm the bees," he remarked. When Howarth returned to her car, she was surprised by the crowd gathered around it. "I had no idea why everyone was converging there," she said.

However, the beekeeper managed to address the issue. "The area was finally clear of bees, and I drove home at ease," Howarth recounted.

This, however, was not the end of the saga. "The following day, I noticed the bees were back around the car, realizing some had followed me home. I called the beekeeper once again," Howarth said.

Roger Barnes, the beekeeper she contacted, elaborated on the strange situation: "We believe the queen bee was drawn to something sweet in the car but somehow got caught in the wipers or another part of the car. When the loyal bees realized their 'queen' was inside the car and needed assistance, they followed her and 'figured out' a way to aid her. We found the queen and freed her, which led to the dispersal of her swarm, estimated at a minimum of 10,000 bees," Barnes explained.

Barnes further mentioned that although he had witnessed bees protecting their queen in various circumstances, "I've never encountered anything like this. It was both amusing and slightly concerning to watch them follow and cling to the car for two entire days. I'm glad it's now resolved."