About 15,000 bees invaded the Senate entrance of the Capitol Building on Friday.
The bees were reportedly searching for a new nest after abandoning their previous hive, which they had outgrown. There is no word on why the bees choose to swarm the Capitol Building entrance. Staffers, reporters, and tourists were all caught up in the mayhem that resulted.
Some kind of situation is unfolding outside the Capitol (Senate side) involving a box full of swarming bees pic.twitter.com/VPmVBSdmpy
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) June 19, 2015
Many onlookers were shocked to see the swarm on what was otherwise a beautiful summer day.
Three volunteer beekeepers, including a congressional staffer, descended on the scene almost immediately. They were excited as they began to wrangle the bees. "My first swarm that I actually captured!" Rep. John Conyers (D., Mich.) Chief of Staff and self-described honeybee hobbyist Cynthia Martin told CNN.
Not everybody was as excited to see the bees, however. Several onlookers reportedly scrambled away from the swarm as soon as they spotted them.
Thankfully Capitol Police showed up and secured the scene. At least three officers, included one armed with what appeared to be a fully automatic M4 rifle, cordoned off the area with caution tape while the bees were captured.
