The Federation of Italian Beekeepers (FAI) intervened at the headquarters of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in Rome, to recover a large swarm of honey bees, more than 20 thousand in number, which had settled in the inner courtyards overlooked by the offices. The intervention, following a report from the MEF itself, amid amazement and wonderment of those who witnessed the complex recovery, lasted for over an hour and was carried out by FAI's bee expert, Fabrizio Piacentini, who, given the delicate location of the bees on a railing and their large number, had to ensure that the entire colony of bees was secured in the special ‘swarm-holder’ container. According to the association, this was an unseasonal phenomenon (bees normally swarm in spring), most likely due to the weather variability of recent days. For this recovery, the technique of ‘brood honeycomb’ was used, i.e. the approach of live biological material by which the bees are induced to an orderly and complete path back to the portable hive without any risk to passers-by and ministerial staff.