30,000 Wandering Bees Find a New Home in Veurne

It was a Thursday evening that residents of Veurne’s Voetbalstraat neighborhood won’t soon forget. Around 6:30 PM on June 18, a massive swarm of approximately 30,000 honey bees descended on the area, sending locals scrambling indoors and prompting a frantic call to a nearby hobby beekeeper. Within two hours, the swarm was safely captured and given a new home — a resolution that highlights both the wonder of nature and the quiet heroism of local beekeepers, as VRT NWS reported.

Panic in the Streets

The swarm appeared suddenly, blanketing gardens and homes in the quiet residential area. “It was impressive but also frightening,” one resident told VRT NWS. “They swarmed around the whole time and caused panic. Even our neighbor’s pigeons seemed to be attacked.” While the claim about the pigeons may be an exaggeration driven by fear — bee swarms focused on reproduction are generally not aggressive — the scene was undeniably startling for the community.

Fortunately, someone in the neighborhood knew exactly whom to call.

A Beekeeper to the Rescue

Pieter Glorie, a 40-year-old hobby beekeeper living nearby, received the call and rushed to the scene. By the time he arrived, the swarm had settled on a bush along the Nieuwpoortkeiweg. Dressed in protective gear and carrying a traditional skep (a bee basket), Glorie assessed the situation.

“I estimate there were about 30,000,” Glorie explained. “The bee colony is at its strongest during this time of year. When the colony becomes too large or when there’s too little food for everyone, the colony decides a new queen should be born. At that moment, the group splits in two and the old queen leaves with half the colony in search of a new home.”

This phenomenon — known as swarming — is the natural way honey bee colonies reproduce. According to Bijenclub, swarming typically occurs in May and June when a colony is at maximum strength, often exceeding 50,000 bees. Scout bees search for a suitable new location while the swarm clusters temporarily, often on a tree branch or bush.

Capturing the swarm required patience and a steady hand. “Actually, you just need to make sure you have the queen,” Glorie said. “Then all the other bees follow the pheromones — the scent substances — of that queen and they come along too. In such a swarm, you obviously can’t immediately spot the queen. So I carefully scoop until they all come along.”

Once the queen was secured, the rest of the colony followed her into the new hive Glorie provided, which he had stocked with a frame of honey to give them a good start.

A Win-Win Outcome

For Glorie, the call was an opportunity as much as a favor. “It’s a win-win situation,” he said. “People are rid of the swarm and I have a new colony.” He now maintains six bee colonies, one of which he previously captured at the Koksijde golf course.

In Belgium, honey bees are a protected species and may not be exterminated. The Royal Flemish Beekeepers Association (KonVIB) provides a provincial contact system for swarm reports, and the IFANG Beekeepers Federation advises that bee swarms are generally not aggressive — bees die after stinging — and that the fire brigade will refer callers to local beekeepers rather than removing swarms themselves.

More Than a One-Time Rescue

Pieter Glorie is no stranger to beekeeping advocacy in Veurne. In 2020, he submitted a proposal to the city council to place beehives in the Vaubanpark. His idea led to the creation of a working group within the local Environmental Council, and on May 21, 2022, the Vaubanpark bee shelter officially opened, as Het nieuws van West-Vlaanderen reported. The shelter features educational information boards, glass viewing panels for safe observation, and houses six bee colonies. The project received support from the Flemish Beekeeping Program, the city of Veurne, Meli (a local bee products company), and the Royal Beekeepers Association Sint-Ambrosius Houtem.

Why This Matters

While this story may seem like a lighthearted local news item, it touches on several important themes. As urban areas expand, encounters between humans and wildlife — including insects — are becoming more common. This incident demonstrates how communities can respond calmly and constructively through local expertise. Honey bees are essential pollinators facing numerous threats, including habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. The swift resolution in Veurne — from panic to safe relocation within an hour — showcases the value of local knowledge networks and the important role that hobby beekeepers play in both environmental conservation and community safety.

What’s Next

The captured swarm will join Glorie’s existing colonies, likely finding a permanent home among his six hives. For Veurne, the incident serves as a reminder of the city’s growing identity as a bee-friendly municipality — and of the remarkable natural processes unfolding in our own backyards, especially during the peak swarming season in late spring and early summer.