An estimated 250 million bees escaped from an overturned truck within the US state of Washington on Friday, sparking warnings from authorities for the general public to keep away from the swarm of stinging bugs.
Emergency officers had been helped by a number of grasp bee-keepers after the truck, which had been hauling roughly 70,000 lb (31,750 kg) of lively honey bee hives, flipped over on a street close to the Canadian border.
“The objective is to save lots of as many bees as potential,” Whatcom County Sheriff’s Workplace (WCSO) stated shortly after the incident.
The authorities stated the location of the crash would stay closed “till the rescue is full”.
“250 million bees are actually unfastened,” wrote Whatcom County Sheriff. “AVOID THE AREA as a result of potential of bee escaping and swarming”.
Bee-keepers labored with police “to help in re-setting the field hives”, containers bee-keepers use to accommodate honeybees.
“The plan is to permit the bees to re-hive and discover their queen bee,” WCSO stated, including: “That ought to happen inside the subsequent 24-48 hours.”
In an replace posted to social media in a while Friday, police thanked “the great group of bee-keepers”, saying “over two dozen” had turned as much as assist with the rescue efforts.
“By morning, most bees ought to have returned to their hives,” WCSO wrote on Fb.
Footage shared by police confirmed enormous numbers of bees swarming across the overturned lorry.
Whereas some bee-keepers intention solely to supply honey, many others hire out their hives to farmers who want the bugs to pollinate their crops.
