Swarm of bees forces delay in Dodgers-Diamondbacks game

PHOENIX (KPHO/Gray News) — A swarm of bees at Chase Field forced a delay at the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles game on Tuesday.

The bees gathered on the foul net behind home plate.

The umpires delayed the game so crews could deal with the situation. First pitch is scheduled for 8:35 p.m.

The swarm of bees gathered on the very top of the net, which is a few stories high, so it was tough to reach.

A scissor lift was brought in around 7:10 p.m., and Matt Hilton, a beekeeper, arrived at the stadium just before 8 p.m.

Hilton told MLB TV he was at his son’s tee ball game when he got the call to remove the bees at Chase Field.

Fans gave him a standing ovation.

“The energy was palpable,” Hilton said. “When it’s pointed at you, it’s a little more nerve-racking. It was super cool, though. I ate it up.”

He vacuumed up all the bees, and the swarm was gone around 8:05 p.m.

Hilton later threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Staff on both teams were worried about playing with the bees there.

“If a foul ball hits the screen, what happens to bees at that point in time?” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Safety is the most important thing.”

Broadcasters said the swarm of bees was not on the netting during batting practice and was created minutes before the game.

Hilton said when a colony gets too large, it will break off and have its queen go somewhere else to create a honeycomb. The swarm decided to “rest” on the netting.

“It’s very common this time of year. This is kind of what they call swarming season,” he said.

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