News crew attacked by swarm of bees during live report

New York, Feb 1: Every news reporter hopes his or her work will garner flocks of readers and stir a buzz. The key is to avoid getting stung by an unreliable source.

But a Florida news crew experienced a more painful version of swarm journalism when bees attacked the reporters during a live broadcast.

CBS12’s Carl Pugliese says the attack came after he launched a drone camera into the air as part of the team’s report on the demolition of a local building.

Shortly after the drone took flight, the bees began attacking it. Pugliese, not realizing what was happening, then lowered the drone closer to the ground to inspect it.

That’s when the swarm moved in, attacking him and CBS12 cameraman Chad Ellison. Meanwhile, Jenna Caiazzo, embarking on her first assignment for the station, stayed safely ensconced inside the news van during the assault.

Pugliese was eventually forced to dive into his SUV and bring down the drone from inside. Unfortunately, some of the bees followed him into the vehicle.

Reporters are occasionally attacked by bees, and you can find an assortment of such incidents on YouTube. But this is the first incident we know of in which a swarm attached to an aerial drone.

CBS12 reports that the drone itself was covered in stingers and what Pugliese called “bee goo.” You can read the full report and watch a video of the incident on their site.


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