On Sunday, June 2, a swarm of bees at Petco Park in San Diego, California was needlessly exterminated during gameplay on live TV. There are safe methods for live swarm removal that can be done in the same amount of time. In particular, there are live bee vacuums that can contain a swarm of bees just as quickly as any extermination method and with little risk to fans. 

The extermination of Sunday’s swarm was unacceptable. It set a bad example and was a missed opportunity for education.

This situation is likely to happen and gain. Going forward, we would like:

1) A live removal beekeeper on-hand to rescue swarms.

2) A public apology for Sunday’s incident.

3) An act of good will towards honey bees to help educate fans.

Wouldn’t it be great to have an educational video about the importance of bees to entertain the crowd while the bees are safely removed?