Into the Swarm

Walking at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 18, I neared the corner of Balboa Avenue and Kearny Villa Road and noticed a large cloud of movement. I thought they were just flies, but as I approached, I noticed that they were bees — thousands of frenzied bees. They covered an area about 15 feet in length, mostly in the low-lying bushes, but spilling in multitudes onto the sidewalk and street.

I actually went to walking into the swarm, but a handful of them noticed me and started aggressively beelining my way. I walked off the sidewalk into Balboa and froze as the front-runner sped at my face. I stepped back as more bees followed suit.

Before the scene could become nightmarish, I made a dash through oncoming traffic, as it seemed a safer alternative. Once at the median strip, I saw a police cruiser sitting at the light. I feared that I'd get a jaywalking ticket, but their eyes were also glued on the swarm.