People
July 29, 2022
Beekeeper Suits Up, Removes Texas Swarm at Union Pacific Yard
Bees, and especially their stings, are often frightening enough to avoid at all costs. So, what happens when a swarm of bees makes its home on a railroad track? Bee-lieve it or not, in this case, that’s when Nick Sahinen, manager-Yard Operations, suits up.
After a swarm of bees made its home in Coady Yard’s Track 46 in Baytown, Texas, Sahinen jumped on the opportunity to remove them.
“Beekeepers love seeing a big ball of bees,” Sahinen said. “But for people working in the yard, not so much.”
Sahinen also used this opportunity to educate his co-workers about the importance of bees in the environment, sharing he looks at bees from the perspective of the good work they do.
In addition to supplying honey, he said bees are pollinators and play a vital role in a healthy ecosystem.From left, Sahinen’s daughter, Brooke, dons her bee costume; Sahinen with his son, Reese, in beekeeper mode.
“My motivation for taking action was to ensure none of our employees were stung and to save the bees from being exterminated,” he said. “It turned out to be a win-win situation.”