Social media users had the same ominous biblical thought after a massive swarm of bees invaded the White House grounds on Friday, just weeks after First Lady Melania Trump added new bee colonies on the property.
The swarm of bees caused a stir after numerous black dots were spotted near the press corps’ Pebble Beach media area on the North Lawn. About 20 minutes later, the bees clustered into a hive on a nearby tree.
What triggered the swarm remains unclear, though the incident came just weeks after Mrs. Trump announced the addition of two new bee colonies to the White House’s existing hives. She also unveiled a replica White House beehive on the South Lawn, raising the possibility, jokingly, that the bees may have mistaken the actual White House for their new home.
Edward Lawrence, the White House correspondent for Fox Business, brought the swarm to the country's attention, sharing an image along with the following caption:
"The dots here are a swarm of bees on the North Lawn of the White House. There are thousands of them right now."
You can see his post and the photo below.
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Bees aren't exactly locusts—symbols of judgment and total destruction in the Bible—but that didn't stop people from thinking the same thing.
The expansion of the bee colonies at the White House is expected to increase annual honey production by roughly 30 pounds, providing more honey for White House dishes, official gifts from the Trumps, and charitable donations to local food kitchens.
At peak summer capacity, the colony can grow to around 70,000 bees and produce as much as 225 pounds of honey each year. Funded through the Trust for the National Mall, the new hive also helps pollinate the nearby White House Kitchen Garden, Flower Cutting Garden, and vegetation throughout the National Mall.
If this means we can expect to see more random swarms making appearances, then we better get the rest of our dark omens straight while the Trumps are still in the White House.
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