Bee infestation closes visitors center near Searchlight

As more and more businesses and institutions prepare to reopen across Nevada, one facility was forced to close its doors Wednesday.

This time, COVID-19 is not to blame.

The discovery of a bee infestation forced the closure of the Southern Nevada Visitors Center rest area along U.S. Highway 95, about 17 miles south of Searchlight, according to a release from the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Maintenance crews discovered hundreds of bees swarming the faucets, toilets and other facilities while performing a fog seal pavement upgrade to the north and south parking lots, the release said.

“NDOT crews are working diligently to quickly resolve this issue,” says NDOT spokesman Tony Illia in the release. “It’s important to make this rest area safe and accessible once again for motorists.”

The rest area will remain closed until it can be safely reopened again.

There were no reports of murder hornets at the facility.