A buzz of activity erupted in Washington state after an estimated 250 million honeybees were released when a truck carrying them overturned.
The incident involved a vehicle hauling approximately 70,000 pounds of honeybee hives, which tipped over near the Canadian border in Lynden, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office’s social media updates.
According to Amy Cloud, spokeswoman for county emergency management, the driver apparently lost control while navigating a sharp turn, causing the trailer to roll into a ditch. The driver was unharmed.
Emergency responders and numerous bee experts were dispatched to the scene. Local beekeepers offered assistance to recover, rebuild, and reposition the hives, the sheriff’s office reported.
The plan is to allow the bees to naturally return to their hives and locate their queen bees within the next day or two, according to the sheriff’s office. The primary objective is to rescue as many bees as possible.
“We extend our gratitude to the remarkable community of beekeepers. Over two dozen individuals volunteered their time to ensure the rescue of millions of pollinating honeybees would be as successful as we could make it,” stated the sheriff’s office.
The public was advised to avoid the area on Friday. Sheriff’s deputies, at times, sought refuge inside their patrol cars to avoid being stung.
Honeybees are essential for food production, pollinating more than 100 different crops, including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus fruits, and melons.
Bee and other pollinator populations have been shrinking for years impacted by insecticides, parasites, illnesses, climate change, and reduced diversity in food sources.
To raise awareness about the challenges facing bees, the UN General Assembly sponsored the inaugural World Bee Day on May 20, 2018.
Beekeepers routinely transport millions of bees between locations, as prolonged stays in a single area can deplete resources available for other pollinators, as reported by the Seattle Times.
Alan Woods, president of the Washington State Beekeepers Association, told the newspaper that Washington state needs a “standardized emergency bee response” protocol for crashes involving bee-transporting vehicles.
In 2015, 14 million bees escaped from a truck north of Seattle on Interstate 5 and stung many people, the Seattle Times reported at that time.
