In this text, the author uses imagery in order to create a clear and vivid picture in the mind of the reader.
Imagery refers to the use of figurative language in order to describe the objects or events that appear in a story. In this example, the author uses imagery to appeal to the sense of sight and hearing.
The author refers to the sense of sight when he describes watching the bees come in and fly around the room. He also uses it when describing their shiny wings.
On the other hand, the author refers to the sense of hearing when he describes the humming noise the bees made. He also refers to it when he talks about the bees "sounding like a radio tuned to static."