In a truck accident near the border between the United States and Canada, 250 million bees escaped. Local police have warned people to avoid the area while beekeepers try to collect the bees.
The truck was carrying a load of beehives in the northwestern American state of Washington. The vehicle overturned in Whatcom County, near the border with Canada. As a result, the beehives fell off the trailer and the bees were able to escape.
“250 million bees are now on the run,” the Whatcom County Sheriff writes on Facebook. Police closed all roads in the area and urged people to avoid the area. Little nuisance is expected because the area is very sparsely populated.
Beekeepers and other bee experts are working to collect the bees and get them back into their hives. According to a sheriff’s spokesperson, several responders were stung during the cleanup.
Bees are social animals and always stay near their queen. She will never travel far and will likely stay near the hive on the truck. Police and experts therefore expect to have the bees collected again within 24 to 48 hours.