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Thousands of bees took temporary residency inside man's car while he was grocery shopping

Officials said a security guard was stung and it is possible a few patrons may have had close encounters, but no major injuries were reported.
Credit: Las Cruces Fire Department

NEW MEXICO, USA — A routine trip to the grocery store turned into quite an experience for a New Mexico resident.

The man spent several minutes inside Albertson's buying groceries, but when he returned to his vehicle, he had some unexpected visitors waiting for him — thousands of bees in his back seat.

According to the Las Cruces Fire Department, the bees took temporary residency in the man's car that had been parked with a window down. 

He returned to his car after shopping, placed groceries in his vehicle and actually drove off before noticing that there was a swarm of bees traveling with him. 

Las Cruces firefighters were called to the scene, and luckily, one of their own is a beekeeper. They called the firefighter, who was off-duty at the time, to come help get the bees out of the man's car.

Firefighter Jesse Johnson arrived at the scene with everything needed to move the bees — a hive kit, lemongrass oil, gloves and the proper attire, according to CBS News. He soon relocated them to a "more suitable location," officials said.  

It took nearly two hours for fire crews and Johnson to remove an estimated 15,000 bees from the man's car. They were all relocated to Johnson’s property.

Officials said a security guard was stung and it is possible a few patrons may have had close encounters, but no major injuries were reported.

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