NYPD Beekeeper Sucks 15K Bees Out Of Queens Trees

QUEENS, NY — A late night sting operation saw police rushing to a Queens neighborhood abuzz with 15,000 unwelcome guests.

An NYPD beekeeper removed a massive honey bee colony from a tree on 166th Street in eastern Queens about 10 p.m. Sunday night, agency officials confirmed.

The department's official (newly minted) beekeeper used a vacuum to suction up the bees and captured footage of the nested colony in the process, photos show.

The swarm was then safely removed to a farm upstate, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

Sunday's sting operation awed and delighted city dwellers unaware that the NYPD had it's own bee-cific department.

"This is so great," tweeted Patricia Daino. "We need the bees. Awesomeness."

"Isn't this more appropriate for SWAT than ESU?" quipped Tim Stoner. "I'll see myself out..."

This is hardly the NYPD's first beekeeping operation — notably including back-to-back removals in Times Square last year — but it's one of the first colonies picked up during the 2022 season.

The department's longtime official beekeeper, Officer Darren Mays, retired from the seasonal role last year.

He took over from bee expert, Detective Anthony “Tony Bees” Planakis, in 2014, and was succeeded by Detective Robert Travis.