Swarm Of Bees Cause Issues On Pa. Turnpike

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A swarm of bees created quite a buzz on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Wednesday.

The insects were swarming around the canopy at lane 9 near the tolls at the Valley Forge Interchange throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

(KYW traffic reporter Sam Clover:) "I just got a call from a listener going through the toll booth at Valley Forge."

(Turnpike Public Information Manager Mimi Doyle:) "I just heard about it actually on KYW on my way in this morning."

(Clover:) "Pay your toll, but then roll up your window real fast. Apparently, there's a gigantic swarm of bees flying around the toll plaza."

Sam Clover's traffic tipster sent the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and spokeswoman Mimi Doyle searching for a bee expert.

"We need to relocate them," Doyle said.

Officials say the bees, which are honey bees, cannot be killed and must be removed from the area.

The bees, favoring a couple cash lanes.

"They're literally right on the lights, we have a red and a green," Doyle said.

Dozens, if not hundreds, she says. For driver and worker safety, the toll collectors moved their posts.

Meanwhile, the cash tolls near the bees have been made EZPass-only, in order to keep toll cashiers from getting stung.

"We certainly didn't want our customers to pull up to a toll and open their window and have bees swarm in," Doyle said.

Traffic was not delayed.

The Philadelphia Bee Company wrangled them away, leaving the plaza nearly bee-free in time for the evening rush.

 

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.