Bees delay start of Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers game at Chase Field

There was a buzz around Chase Field on Tuesday night, and not just because Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are in town.

Moments before the 6:40 pm scheduled first pitch, the Diamondbacks announced that Tuesday’s game was being delayed due to a bee colony that formed on the netting behind home plate.

It is the second time already this season that the Diamondbacks have had a home game delayed, despite playing in a retractable roof stadium seemingly protected from the elements. In late March, one of their exhibition games against the Guardians was canceled due to a mid-game rain storm because the roof cannot currently close with fans present.

It is also not the first time that bees have impacted a major league game. In 2023, a game between the Orioles and Rockies was paused during the first innings due to a swarm near the bullpens. In 2019, a game between the Reds and Giants was delayed by 20 minutes due to a swarm near home plate. And in 2013, the Mariners and Angels were put on pause for 23 minutes thanks to a swarm near the outfield wall. And, in 2014, a DBacks-Giants game at Chase Field was disrupted by bees.

None of those swarms, though, produced a hive as large as the one at Chase Field on Tuesday night, which has prompted ongoing discussions between umpires, grounds crew and both coaching staffs. Roughly 40 minutes after the delay began, the Diamondbacks announced that they were waiting for the arrival of a professional beekeeper and that they “anticipate that the game will resume promptly following the successful removal of the beehive.”