Millions of bees loose after the truck capsized near the British Columbia car wash. boundary
About 14 million bees escaped a overturned commercial truck as the sky buzzed Friday in northwestern Washington state.
The Whatcom County Sheriff's office said in a social media post that the truck was towed by an estimated 70,000 pounds (31,751 kilograms) of Honeybee Hives, near the Canadian border near Abbotsford, Washington.
County Emergency Management spokesman Amy Cloud said in an email that it seems the driver’s distance is not good enough. Yun said the driver was not injured.
Representatives, county public works staff and several bee experts responded to the scene. The boxed beehive later got off the truck and local beekeepers flocked to help recover, restore and reset the beehive, according to the sheriff’s office.
A commercial truck carrying more than 30,000 kilograms of bee hives rolled around local time around local time near Lynden, south of Abbotsford, Washington on Friday and accidentally released millions of bees. Whatcom County Sheriff's Office released a buzzing video.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the plan is to allow bees to return to the hive and find the queen bees the next day or the next day. The goal is to save as many bees as possible.
“Thanks to the wonderful community of beekeepers: More than twenty shows up to help ensure that saving millions of pollinated bees will be as successful as possible,” the sheriff's office post said.
There are 250 million bees on Weidkamp Road between W. Badger and Loomis Trail. Please use alternative routes as WSCO representatives, public works and bee experts to curb this situation. pic.twitter.com/nxupsmtzxu
The public is advised to avoid the area on Friday, and sheriff’s deputies sometimes drive into their squad to avoid being stinged.
Bees are essential to food supply, pollinating more than 100 crops, including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus and melons.
Bees and other pollinators have been declining for years, with experts accusing pesticides, parasites, diseases, climate change and a lack of diverse food supplies.
In 2015, 14 million bees escaped a truck north of Seattle on Interstate 5 and began to sting people.
