Queens’ Bees

Swarmed

When I think of insects in New York City, bees aren’t the first ones to come to mind.  Then again, I never lived next to this guy. Cops in Queens recently raided a house where a man was keeping about 3 MILLION BEES!  They lived in 45 hives on his driveway.  Neighbors reported a constant loud buzzing and said sometimes the bees attacked in swarms.

Chen's Driveway

Andrew Cote of the New York City Beekeeper’s Association said “There were more bees in this driveway than there are people in Queens”

The Bee Charmer

Yi Gin Chen was a beekeeper in his native China before moving to NYC to open a restaurant.  He started with one hive a few years ago, but they multiplied too quickly.  Chen finally asked for help with his “pets” when he decided to sell his house. Beekeeping is legal in the NYC, all you have to do is register your hives.  Failure to register can result in a fine up to $2,000.  45 hives x $2,000 could add up to $90,000 in fees.  Now that’s a lot of honey!

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