Overview
- Videos from Netivot, which surged online Wednesday, showed tens of thousands of bees over a shopping center as the city told people to stay indoors.
- Municipal crews and trained beekeepers are relocating the swarms, and officials continue to warn residents not to approach or attempt removal.
- Local reports described bees clustering on balconies and cars, brief closures at shops and cafes, and additional sightings in other areas including near Tel Aviv.
- Experts explain that swarming is a spring reproductive split when an overcrowded hive sends a queen and workers to find a new nest, and such swarms are usually non-defensive.
- Social media amplified religious interpretations and unverified claims about grounded military aircraft, with no independent confirmation of operational disruptions.