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Bee Swarm Briefly Closes White House Press Area Before Settling in Nearby Tree

Experts say the dramatic scene reflected normal swarming behavior that rarely threatens people.

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows A swarm of bees against a partly cloudy blue sky, with the tops of green trees visible on the left side, Image 2 shows A swarm of bees near the press area at the White House North Lawn, Image 3 shows A large cluster of honeybees, a swarm, clinging to a tree branch amidst green leaves
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Overview

  • Thousands of honeybees, which descended Friday on the North Lawn, forced reporters to clear the Pebble Beach broadcast zone for about 20 minutes.
  • The insects later clustered on a nearby tree and formed a new nest, and there were no reports of stings or injuries.
  • The White House did not issue an immediate comment as videos from on-site journalists went viral with “bee tornado” jokes and biblical-plague riffs.
  • Swarming usually occurs when a new queen emerges and a portion of the colony leaves to start a new hive, which makes the bees focused on relocating rather than attacking.
  • The episode followed last month’s expansion of the White House beekeeping program under First Lady Melania Trump, which added two colonies and a replica-White-House hive to a tradition dating to 2009.