Swarming bees shut down popular California national park’s campground for weeks

Swarming bees took over a California national park’s campsite this week and shut it down.

Joshua Tree National Park officials said Wednesday that bees invaded the Jumbo Rocks Campground at the park and forced park officials to close the area.

“Beginning Thursday, July 9th at noon, effective until Friday, July 24th, Jumbo Rocks Campground will be temporarily closed due to bee activity,” park officials said in a news release. “Campsites and picnic areas in the campground will be closed during these dates.”

There are more than 120 campsites at Jumbo Rocks, and reservations are required from September to May but are first come, first served outside that time frame, according to the National Park Service website.

Joshua Tree Superintendent David Smith told the Los Angeles Times that no stings were reported, and the bees are just “standard honey bees.”

“There were a couple of vehicles with a lot of bees in them. And campsites. Visitors were very uncomfortable,” Smith told the news outlet.

It’s not the first time a portion of the park has been overrun by bees. Last July, a large swarm of bees took over Keys View overlook, according to CBSLA.

“Bees require this extra water to cool their hives during the hottest days,” park officials told the news outlet last summer. “They will pester visitors for their water bottles, the condensation from their vehicle air conditioners and even for their sweat.”

Other campgrounds at Joshua Tree are still open, park officials said. Visitors should be aware of bees and use caution in the Jumbo Rocks area.

This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Swarming bees shut down popular California national park’s campground for weeks."