Members of the New York City Beekeepers Association removed bees from a driveway in Corona, Queens. (credit: Gary Baumgarten, 1010 WINS)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Pretty UnBEElievable!

Members of the New York City Beekeepers Association sealed up some 3 million bees in 45 hives at a home in Queens Wednesday night.

The bees apparently belong to a restaurant owner, who was a beekeeper in China. They were kept in a 20 by 20 space in his Corona driveway on 111th Street.

1010 WINS’ Gary Baumgarten Reports https://newyork.cbslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14578484/2012/08/bees-2baumgartenw37-soc-bradolf-wgeis.mp3

One member of the Beekeeper’s Association said the bees would be sealed and moved within the next few days. It’s not clear where they will be transported. If they stay sealed in the hives, they will die.

The city’s Health Department and police were also previously been at the scene, according to neighbors.

On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene may have also cited and fined the owner — who was not home at the time the bees were sealed up Wednesday night.

People who live nearby said they had grown fed up with all the neighborhood buzz. They said the bees have, at times, attacked by swarms.

“Imagine how my mother, who broke her leg, and she cannot even live outside because the bees constantly bother her. We have a swimming pool in the backyard — a small one for the kids — and they’ve been constantly bothered by the bees,” one neighbor told 1010 WINS’ Gary Baumgarten.

While it is legal to keep bees in the city, they are supposed to be registered with the Health Department.

“I think most hobbyists limit themselves to one or two,” Adam Johnson, of the NYC Beekeepers Association said, adding 45 hives was “beyond comprehension.”

Failure to do so is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 per hive. In this case, that could be a hefty $90,000 penalty.

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