At Park Place Lexus Plano, no two days are ever quite the same—but recently, one particular day definitely stood out.
When a client pulled into the service drive to report an issue with their loaner vehicle, Service Manager Bryan Martin was quick to assist. What he discovered wasn’t your typical service concern. Nestled in the tire well of the Lexus RX 350 were some very unexpected guests: a full swarm of bees.
Bryan promptly got the client into a new loaner vehicle. Then he called in an expert from his team.
Enter Nick Lindsey, a Certified Technician and Glass Specialist who’s been with Park Place since 2005. While Nick is known for his precision with luxury vehicles, he’s also an experienced beekeeper. For nearly a decade, he’s managed a small bee farm—a passion that has grown into an operation that includes the sale of queen bees, nucleus hives (“nucs”), raw honey, and even honeybee genetics research.
So when Nick took a closer look inside the fender liner, he knew exactly what he was dealing with: an early-stage colony of 10,000 to 20,000 bees.
“It’s not uncommon for a swarm to leave its original hive and find a new home within 20 minutes,” Nick explained. “That’s probably how they ended up in the Lexus. It happens fast—and once they find a spot, they hold on tight to protect the queen.”
With care and calm, Nick drove the Lexus to a remote location and safely released the bees, allowing them to relocate naturally—queen and all. No stings. No damage. No drama.
It’s safe to say that handling swarms of bees isn’t in the average technician’s toolkit, but Nick’s unique background turned a wild moment into a smooth solution.
At Park Place, going above and beyond is part of the culture—even if that means saving a Lexus-loving swarm.