The Los Angeles Dodgers game at the Arizona Diamondbacks was delayed for just about two hours by bees, yes, you read that correctly. A giant bee colony formed on the safety net behind the home plate. A Phoenix-area pest control expert thought he was done with his work for the day when he received the call.
Matt Hilton, the branch manager of Blue Sky Pest Control, saved the day. He removed the bees and received a standing ovation from the crowd. None of the bees were harmed. Hilton said, “I was actually at my son’s last t-ball game of the season when I got the call to come out here.” It was kismet.”
Pest Control Expert Throws Out the First Pitch
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Fans chanted “MVP” when he finished the job. The Diamondbacks had Hilton throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game started at 11:35 p.m. ET. Hilton Said, “I thought I was just here to take care of a bee problem, and yeah, people were pretty hyped up; it was pretty cool.”
Roberts said there was talk about starting the game without removing the bees. But a message in the press box said the game would not be started until the bees were removed. Removing the bee colony took about two hours. A message on the scoreboard told fans to “Please bee patient” while playing “Let It Be” by the Beatles.
“This is a tough one,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told SportsNet LA after meeting with umpires on the field during the delay. “I think we’re just trying to figure out the situation right now. Obviously, we see the bees. [So] how long will it take a beekeeper to come and take care of the situation?”
The Diamondbacks released a statement when the game was delayed. “The scheduled game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers has been temporarily delayed due to the presence of a beehive in the netting directly behind home plate at Chase Field. We anticipate the game will resume promptly following a professional beekeeper’s successful removal of the beehive.”
Colonies of Bees are Not a New Issue in Arizona
The Diamondbacks took advantage of the delay to have some fun on their social media, posting several bee facts for fans.
Bee colonies are common in Arizona in the spring. A Diamondbacks game was delayed on April 3, 2014, against the San Francisco Giants. Bee delays have delayed many Cactus League spring training games. Chase Field in Phoenix has a retractable roof, and it was open before the game on Tuesday night.
Bees have slipped past security a couple of times in the past few years. Last season, a game between the Orioles and Rockies was delayed during the first few innings due to a swarm near the bullpens. In 2019, a game between the Reds and Giants was delayed by 20 minutes after a swarm descended on players at home plate.
The hive was about 30 feet above the playing field, directly behind home plate. Teams in the southwest and southern California rarely contend with delays because rain is rare.
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Bradley Tachco is a career journalist. I spent 12+ years at CNN as a writer and producer. My sports: NHL, MLB, NFL. My goal: unique content. My teams are the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills (yes, I am a masochist), and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I have been a Dodgers fan since I was old enough to think. I have gone through decades of despair with all three franchises. You can follow Bradley on X @p09691
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