Insect Swarm

"Nothing Clears a room like swarms of stinging bees."

- Plasmid advertisement

Insect Swarm is a Plasmid available in BioShock, BioShock 2 and the BioShock 2 Multiplayer. It is an active Plasmid which instantly releases a swarm of bees, at the cost of EVE.

Once released, the swarm becomes a singular entity, circling an area and seeking out enemies. The swarm travels into different rooms and up stairs, making it useful in scouting. When a group of enemies is found, the swarm will pick a single target enemy and continuously attack it until it expires, or until the time limit on the swarm runs out, causing it to disperse. If the target dies before the swarm disperses, it will immediately move to attack a new target

BioShock
In BioShock Insect Swarm has no effect on Security Bots or Turrets, but Splicers that are unaware of the player and neutral or friendly Big Daddies will be targeted indiscriminately. Only a single swarm may be active at a time.

Combat Strategy

 * Insect Swarm can help the player flush out enemies pretending to be dead.
 * Cyclone Trap, Incinerate!, and Sonic Boom should not be used in conjunction with Insect Swarm, as a group of attacking bees will disappear when enemies are hit with these Plasmids. Electro Bolt will not stun an enemy being attacked by bees.
 * Two things make this Plasmid unique: First, it homes in on enemies. Second, it distracts enemies even in the middle of combat. This makes it particularly useful if the player is not very accurate, but also if they wish to use it for stealth and escape tactics. It is also a good choice when sniping faraway enemies, as they do not attack the player upon being swarmed.

Recommended Tonics

 * EVE Saver will reduce the cost in EVE when casting this Plasmid.
 * Natural Camouflage will help the player if they are using Insect Swarm as an escape tool.
 * The Wrench Lurker line of Tonics will increase Wrench damage versus swarmed enemies, as they count as unaware.

BioShock 2
Insect Swarm is also available to the player in BioShock 2. The bees spawned by Subject Delta are smarter and more aggressive, seeking out hidden enemies and moving across several rooms.

Combat Strategy

 * Using Insect Swarm 3 with Cyclone Trap is very useful for defense. If the bees from the original trap kill the enemy, the dead body becomes another trap in the form of an "insect bomb." This could continue to kill enemies and create a chain of traps, especially since the swarm will target multiple enemies each time.
 * Telekinesis can be used to pick up the aforementioned insect bombs, which will release a swarm of bees when in proximity with a nearby enemy.
 * Using Insect Swarm creates a continuous yellow cloud around enemies, which follows them everywhere. This is particularly useful against Houdini Splicers as it gives away their position.
 * While gathering ADAM through an adopted Little Sister it is recommended to launch a few Insect Swarms out in advance, as they take a small amount of time to home in on an enemy. Spawn more of them continuously, so that they may take out a few Splicers on their own.

Recommended Tonics

 * EVE Saver will reduce the EVE cost when casting this Plasmid.
 * Fountain of Youth restores Health and EVE when in water, which can allow constant (and free) use of this Plasmid without using any EVE Hypos.
 * Drill Specialist will greatly decrease the casting cost of this Plasmid, although it will significantly reduce the player's weapon selection.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer
Insect Swarm is the last Plasmid received by the player, and is unlocked at Rank 20. In addition to dealing minor damage to the target over time, using this Plasmid on an enemy will blur their vision for the duration of the Plasmid, severely disrupting their aim. The insects can be dispelled by meleeing them three times. Unlike Incinerate!, Electro Bolt or Winter Blast, the Plasmid has to physically move from the caster to the target to take effect.

Combat Strategy

 * Although Insect Swarm will blur the target's vision, they can still partially see their surroundings. Avoid getting too close, as moving makes it easier for the victim to see the player.
 * If hit by this Plasmid, performing an Aero Dash will instantly dispel its effects.
 * Enemies hit by this Plasmid usually tend to become much more aggressive. Try shooting them from a distance to avoid bearing the brunt of their shooting frenzy.
 * Insect Swarm takes a little time to hit its target, and a little more to take effect. Don't attack them too soon.
 * Moving around the victim in circles after hitting them with this Plasmid will disorient them, preventing them from hitting the player effectively.
 * This Plasmid is particularly effective against enemies who use the Elephant Gun, as it'll prevent them from landing any accurate shots, let alone a headshot.

Recommended Tonics

 * EVE Saver will reduce the EVE cost when casting this Plasmid.
 * Metabolic EVE will allow the player to regenerate EVE after casting this Plasmid.

Bugs/Glitches

 * BioShock
 * When the player uses Insect Swarm from a distance in an area with Splicers that are playing dead (areas from Hephaestus onward) the Swarm will attack the Splicers but they will not stand up, merely twitching and yelling until they die.


 * BioShock 2 Multiplayer
 * Using Insect Swarm on an enemy player near death and scoring a kill with it will give the player the "Heat Stroke" Trial as if the player had used Incinerate! instead.
 * If there is an enemy standing directly up against a wall another player can stand on the opposite side of the wall and use Insect Swarm to send the swarm through the wall.

Behind the Scenes

 * The Insect Swarm Plasmid was first developed to appear in the BioShock X06 Teaser Trailer . Afterwards, the developers decided to include it in the game itself, due largely to its popularity with the fans.