Beekeeper called in to remove around 15,000 bees from downtown signal light

A local beekeeper says a swarm of bees on an LRT signal light should be gone within the next 24 hours.

The bees took up residence on the signal light outside City Centre Mall on Tuesday.

Darrel Sopel says he was called in by the city to remove the swarm.

He says the bees emit a pheromone to keep the swarm together.

“These bees have been on the light post for about 24 hours, so they’re really attracted to that light post, and it’s difficult to get them off,” he said. “And I just found out there’s a hole in the bottom of the post and the queen might actually be inside the light, so that’s why I’m having a difficult time getting them off the light post.”

Sopel says bees form swarms like the one downtown when they’re looking for a new home. He says using an artificial version of the pheromone he can entice all of the bees into a wooden box over the next 24 hours.

“They will choose an enclosed space with more room before they’ll stay on that light, so the box might stay up there for a day, but they should all move into it.”

Sopel says the swarm consists of 10,000 to 15,000 bees.