It was a bee chaos.
A semi-truck transporting approximately 14 million honeybees in their hives overturned on a roadway in Washington state on Friday, sending a swarm of agitated bees into the surrounding area. The crash, which occurred in Whatcom County near the U.S.-Canada border, initially sparked concern due to the sheer number of bees involved and the potential disruption to traffic and public safety.
Fortunately, more than two dozen local beekeepers quickly responded to the incident. According to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, these volunteers worked to recover and restore the hive boxes that were scattered during the crash. By Friday afternoon, officials reported that most of the bees had begun returning to their hives, and the beekeepers responsible for the shipment would manage the insects going forward.
Although early estimates suggested the truck may have been carrying as many as 250 million bees, authorities later confirmed the number was closer to 14 million. The sheriff’s office had initially warned that it could take several days to fully resolve the situation and advised residents to steer clear of the area while the bees naturally regrouped around their queen.
Katie Buckley, pollinator health coordinator for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, reassured the public that many of the bees were likely to survive the ordeal. She noted that honeybees are surprisingly resilient and would likely reconnect with their hives before continuing to their final destination. Still, she cautioned people to avoid the site due to the bees’ potential agitation.
The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. The sheriff’s office expressed gratitude to the beekeeping community, whose swift action helped minimize the loss and ensured the safety of the millions of bees involved. The roadway was expected to reopen by Saturday morning once conditions were deemed safe.
