Beekeeper reacts after driver seen running over bees in Scott’s Addition

RICHMOND, Va. — A strange discovery involving a bucket of honey bees in Scott’s Addition has taken another turn after new cellphone video appeared to show a driver running over the bees on the sidewalk.

The bees were first discovered earlier this month near the intersection of West Moore Street and Mactavish Avenue. At the time, the bucket was surrounded by bees and appeared to contain honey. It’s unclear why they were on the sidewalk.

Richmond

Swarm of bees discovered at busy Scott’s Addition intersection: ‘Super weird’

Brendan King

New cell phone video recorded on the morning of Sept. 3 is revealing more about what happened.

Across two videos totaling nearly two minutes, the driver appears to run over the bucket five times, damaging the vehicle’s bumper before driving away.

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After reviewing the video, a Richmond Police spokesperson said because honeybees are not considered domesticated animals, no crime was committed.

“Should a crime have occurred, however, the complainant would be advised to call the non-emergency number (804) 646-5100 and speak to an officer and request a police report – which would be investigated,” a RPD spokesperson said.

Richmond Animal Care and Control Director Christie Chipps-Peters said Tuesday morning she submitted that request to RPD following CBS 6’s reporting.

“Honey bees play a vital role in our ecosystem. Harming them in such a violent manner is inhumane at best,” Chipps-Peters said.

However, the RPD spokesperson said driving on the sidewalk would be considered a violation.

"Should a complainant come forward with information on the driver’s identity or the vehicle license plate through a call to the non-emergency number, this would begin the process of an officer investigating and possibly bringing the video and driver information to the magistrate to swear out a warrant," the spokesperson said.

I met Steve White, president of the Richmond Beekeepers Association and owner of Twin Hickory Honey, at Dover Hall Estate in Goochland where he manages hives as part of their sustainability program. He said he was surprised after watching the videos.

“I was kind of astounded that somebody would want to kill honeybees,” White said. “They're so important to us. A third of our food is from pollinators.”

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White was later called to the Scott's Addition scene after receiving multiple reports about the bees.

He estimated the bucket contained about two to three pounds of honey when he recovered it. The bucket was damaged and leaking, leaving honey throughout the bed of his truck.

White said a bucket of local wildflower honey could be worth several hundred dollars, depending on the type of honey.

The incident comes after the unusual swarm initially drew attention from pedestrians in Scott’s Addition as they dodged the bees on the sidewalk.

When the bees were first discovered, a nearby business owner moved it into the shade because bees were becoming trapped in the honey and dying in the heat.

White said bee and other pollinator populations, whether native to Virginia or not, face a number of challenges, including pesticides, habitat loss and parasites such as the varroa mite.

“The number of feral colonies has dwindled with all the stuff that's going on,” White said. “It’s so important to the human race that we keep these guys around, not just the honeybees. But, the native pollinators that we have all the different bees and wasps — they're all important.”

White said that while killing a honeybee is not a crime, he hoped people understand the important role bees and other pollinators play.

“It’s not right,” White said. “But most people don't want to do that, right? Because we have an issue with the number of honeybees that we have around.”

To teach people about the importance of bees, White and Twin Hickory Honey will offer beekeeping experiences starting next spring.

This is a developing story, so check back with WTVR.com for updates. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.