On Friday, approximately 250 million bees escaped from a truck that had overturned in Washington state, prompting authorities to caution the public from approaching the swarm of stinging insects.
Emergency officials received assistance from several master beekeepers after a truck carrying about 70,000 pounds (31,750 kg) of active honey bee hives overturned on a road near the Canadian border.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) stated that their primary objective was to save as many bees as possible following the incident.
Authorities stated that the site of the crash would remain closed “until the rescue is complete”.
According to the Whatcom County Sheriff, “250 million bees are now loose,” and advised the public to “AVOID THE AREA” due to the possibility of bees escaping and swarming.
Beekeepers collaborated with police to help reset the box hives, which are containers used to house honeybees.
WCSO stated that the plan was to allow bees to re-hive and locate their queen bee, which should have happened within the next 24 to 48 hours.
In a social media update later on Friday, police expressed gratitude to “the wonderful community of beekeepers,” stating that over two dozen individuals had assisted with the rescue effort.
By morning, most bees should have returned to their hives, according to WCSO’s post on Facebook.
Police shared footage showing large numbers of bees swarming around the overturned truck.
Although some beekeepers primarily aim to produce honey, many others rent out their hives to farmers who require the insects to pollinate their crops.
