Bee Whisperer Engulfed in 'Bee Tornado' During Daring Tennessee Rescue Mission

Bee Whisperer Engulfed in 'Bee Tornado' During Daring Tennessee Rescue Mission

In a dramatic and heart-stopping incident, a self-proclaimed 'bee whisperer' found himself engulfed by a swirling tornado of bees after rushing into a rescue operation without protective gear. David Glover, who operates under the moniker the Bartlett Bee Whisperer, runs a bee removal business in Bartlett, Tennessee. On Friday, he was summoned to a particularly daunting job that would test his skills and courage to the limit.

A Massive Swarm in an Unlikely Location

Thompson Machinery had enlisted Glover's expertise to remove thousands of honey bees that had taken up residence inside one of their excavators in Memphis. The construction equipment had recently been brought in for cleaning and rehabilitation, with workers ensuring all components were still functional. During this process, a technician removed a bottom plate and discovered the unexpected inhabitants, immediately alerting the team to the problem.

Glover, eager to assist his client, inspected the massive bee colony nestled at the bottom of the excavator. As he began to move his equipment into position, the insects erupted into the air, creating what he described as a 'bee tornado.' In that critical moment, Glover realized he did not have time to retrieve his face shield, forcing him to proceed without essential protection.

'They were in the air, thousands of them, spinning like a bee tornado trying to leave,' Glover recounted to WREG. 'I pulled out a nucleus box, which is a small hive box with sugar and water, so it smells like someplace they want to go, and started praying that the bees would come down.'

Despite the swirling chaos, the fearless bee expert made a bold decision. He spotted the queen bee on the ground and carefully placed her into a cage, hoping the rest of the colony would follow her lead. Queen bees are the central figures in bee colonies, laying up to 3,000 eggs daily and guiding the behavior of the entire swarm.

Bees Latch Onto Their Rescuer

However, the bees had other plans. Instead of gravitating toward the caged queen, they began landing all over Glover's body. Dramatic images from the scene show him standing rigidly near the excavator, completely covered in bees. Others clung to his bright yellow shirt as they flew around him in a frenzied cloud.

'And instead of coming to my hand and my arm where the queen was, they landed all over me,' Glover said. 'It was like, okay, guys. Here in a second, you are all going to have to back up.'

Remarkably, Glover described the harrowing experience as 'fun.' He explained, 'It was actually kind of crazy. It was fun. And once I figured I had the majority of them, I could feel the weight of the bees on my shirt and on my neck and my arms. I didn’t know how many I had until I actually saw the video.'

After securing the queen in the box, Glover managed to shake off most of the bees, who then followed their leader into the enclosure. Yet, some persistent insects refused to detach, clinging stubbornly to his shoulder. 'If you watch the video to the end, you see a broad band of bees across my shoulder. Um, they would not leave me,' he noted.

Minimal Stings and a Positive Outcome

To encourage the remaining bees to depart, a colleague sprayed Glover's neck with a product called Honey Bandit, a pheromone that bees find unappealing. Astonishingly, Glover emerged from the ordeal with just a single bee sting on the back of his neck. 'I got 30,000 bees on me. One is not that bad,' he stated with characteristic understatement.

Reflecting on the rescue, Glover added, 'It’s pretty cool some days, and that was one of the cooler swarms I’ve done in a long time.'

Most of the bees Glover rescues are transferred to local beekeepers, and this particular colony was donated to Hometown Honey, a raw honey company that had recently suffered losses in its own colonies. Glover emphasized the importance of such efforts, saying, 'We can’t afford to lose the colony. Every swarm that you find on a tree, a mailbox, or a car, there’s a beekeeper who’s willing to come pick them up. And in the Memphis area, I’d say about 99 percent of us will come and get them for free.'

This incident highlights the dedication of bee rescuers like Glover, who risk their safety to protect these vital pollinators, ensuring they continue to thrive in environments where they might otherwise be destroyed.