Valent
OPPS!!!When Urban Life Meets Buzziness🐝
Let’s face it — cities are already a jungle. You’ve got street musicians, breakdancers, pigeons plotting world domination, and that one guy who always talks to the vending machine. But nothing quite prepares you for… a full-blown beehive thriving in a subway station.
Yes, you read that right.
In a story that could only come from the depths of the “you won’t believe this” part of the internet, a man in New York City — of course it’s New York — has allegedly managed to raise a colony of honeybees inside a subway station, sparking a “buzz” of chaos, laughter, and honey-related confusion across the web.
Who Is This Bee Whisperer?
Meet Gregory Milton, 34, a freelance artist, part-time philosopher, and now, apparently, a full-time underground apiarist. Armed with a beekeeper suit, a stack of science books, and what he describes as “an emotional bond with bees,” Gregory started his bee project as a social experiment.
“It started as a joke,” he told local reporters. “I wanted to prove that bees could adapt to urban spaces. Plus, rent in Brooklyn is ridiculous — so I figured the bees might as well live rent-free.”
Instead of the usual rooftop gardens or backyard apiaries, Gregory chose an unconventional location: the 42nd Street subway station, a bustling hub known more for sweaty tourists and late trains than eco-experiments.
Subway + Bees = Sweet Mayhem
For weeks, commuters noticed something… off.
There were faint buzzing sounds near the E train platform. A slight scent of wildflowers in an otherwise musty tunnel. One woman reported spotting a bee “politely hovering” over her donut before flying off in disappointment.
It wasn’t long before chaos (and comedy) ensued:
- A saxophone player had to pause mid-solo to shoo a curious bee off his reed.
- A tourist from Nebraska fainted after mistaking the hive for a “terrorist honeybomb.”
- A Metro worker allegedly slipped on spilled honey, leaving behind a comically perfect cartoon banana-peel moment caught on CCTV.
Gregory, for his part, was completely unbothered.
“They’re harmless if you respect them,” he explained while wearing a tie-dye beekeeper suit and sipping what he claimed was lavender-infused subway honey.
Social Media Meltdown
Once news of Gregory’s buzzness venture hit TikTok, things escalated faster than a bee on Red Bull.
The hashtag #SubwayBeekeeper trended globally, with users posting:
- “NYC subway finally found its emotional support hive.”
- “This explains the honey on my MetroCard.”
- “If bees can find affordable housing, what’s my excuse?”
One TikToker even dressed up as a bee and tried to join the hive. Security promptly escorted them out — but not before the video reached 3 million views.
Instagram was no better. A new filter called “Bee Train Vibes” let users simulate being swarmed by bees while on a moving subway. The internet was obsessed.
Experts Chime In — And Chuckle
While most of the internet was busy creating memes, actual scientists had… mixed feelings.
Dr. Linda Beeson, a professor of Entomology at NYU, cautiously applauded Gregory’s bee-handling skills but raised public safety concerns:
“While urban beekeeping is fascinating, bees aren’t typically suited for dark, vibrating tunnels full of screaming humans and pizza grease.”
Nevertheless, some in the scientific community appreciated the “unintentional research” aspect of the experiment.
“He’s proved bees are more adaptable than anyone thought,” said Dr. Carlos Mendel, a behavioral ecologist. “Though I’m still not sure why one hive made its home inside a discarded Doritos bag.”
The Legal Sting
Eventually, the city caught on.
MTA officials, initially believing the reports were exaggerated or part of an elaborate prank, dispatched a team of inspectors. What they found was a fully functioning mini-hive tucked inside a utility vent, complete with honeycomb structures, queen bee, and yes — tiny makeshift signs that said “Welcome to Buzzville.”
Gregory was fined for unauthorized agricultural activity, endangering public transit operations, and “sticky nuisance behavior” — yes, that’s a thing, apparently.
He was also politely asked to relocate his bees to a more conventional location, such as a rooftop, park apiary, or literally anywhere above ground.
Where Are the Bees Now?
After what Gregory described as a “peaceful bee-ccupation negotiation,” the hive was safely transferred to a local community garden in Queens, where they are reportedly thriving.
The bees are now celebrities in their own right, with one TikTok user even claiming to have interviewed the queen (via puppetry). Gregory has launched a GoFundMe titled “Save the Subway Bees”, aiming to create a documentary and perhaps a limited-edition honey line called “Underground Gold.”
You can’t make this stuff up. But somehow, Gregory did — or maybe he didn’t.
New York, You Sweet, Weird Beast
Only in New York could someone turn public transportation into an apiary, spark a global meme fest, and become an urban folk hero all in the same week. Gregory’s subway bee saga may be over, but its sting — er, story — will live on in the hearts of weird-news lovers everywhere.
If nothing else, this entire affair proves two things:
- Nature finds a way.
- And so does internet comedy.
