A semi-truck carrying 250 million bees and their hives overturned on the Canadian-US border on Friday, unleashing an ominous cloud of unhappily buzzing insects.
But more than two dozen volunteer beekeepers from the region of Whatcom County, snuggled along the U.S.-Canada border, may have saved the day, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said.
They helped restore hives that had become dislodged in the crash on a Washington state roadway, it said.
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“Hive boxes from the overturned truck were recovered, restored and returned to use,” the sheriff’s office said.
“By morning, most bees should have returned to their hives and those responsible for their delivery will be in charge.”
It appears the driver did not navigate a tight turn well enough, causing the trailer to roll into a ditch, county emergency management spokeswoman Amy Cloud said.
The driver was uninjured.
‘The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible’
The workday started with more uncertainty than optimism, as the crash shut down a roadway and inspired the sheriff’s office to warn residents it could take a few days to corral the escapees.
“The plan is to allow the bees to re-hive and find their queen bee,” the office said.
“That should occur within the next 24–48 hours. The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible.”
Katie Buckley, the pollinator health coordinator for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, indicated many of the bees will not only survive but reconnect with their hives and travel on to their destination.
“Bees are actually surprisingly sturdy,” she said.
Locals were still urged to avoid the bees, and the area of the overturned semi-truck, because they were probably unhappy about being ejected, even if separation from their hives is temporary.
“They’re also probably having a bad day,” she said.
Sheriff’s deputies were seen diving into their squad cars at times to avoid being stung.
The sheriff’s office, meanwhile, said the roadway could reopen Saturday morning, when the insects’ owners would most likely take over, according to a statement.
A local news outlet said it was working to determine where the bees were headed. The sheriff’s office did not say.
The sheriff’s office thanked “the wonderful community of beekeepers”, saying that its members “showed up to help ensure the rescue of millions of pollinating honey bees would be as successful as possible”.
Honeybees are crucial to the food supply, pollinating over 100 crops including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus and melons. Bees and other pollinators have been declining for years, and experts blame insecticides, parasites, disease, climate change and lack of a diverse food supply.
Beekeepers often transport millions of bees from one location to another because leaving them in one location for too long can deplete resources for other pollinators.
-With AP
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