Truck carrying more than 14,000,000 bees overturns in Washington, setting them free
First responders train for all sorts of semi-truck crash scenarios. Things like HAZMAT spills and similar disasters. But authorities in Lynden, Washington, probably never imagined they’d be dealing with a crash that unleashed millions of bees.
Lynden, Washington, is positively buzzing with excitement after an overturned semi-truck freed 14 million bees
If you’ve got a thing with bees, you might want to try some deep breathing exercises for this one. A truck overturned on Weidkamp Road in Lynden, Washington. It’s haul? Millions and millions of bees.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office posted a Facebook statement about the crash and the subsequent release of the many winged pollinators. “The public is advised to avoid the area and stay away at least 200 yards,” the sheriff’s office warned. “The hives came off the truck, which freed the bees. Master beekeepers are on scene, and others are on the way to assist in resetting the box hives.”
Before you start thinking it’s a horror movie waiting to happen, the local authorities have a plan for handling the situation. “The plan is to allow the bees to re-hive and find their queen bee. The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible.”
There was, however, some confusion regarding just how many bees escaped the hives. At first, initial estimates were as high as 250 million. That’s right. A quarter of a billion bees in a load weighing 70,000 lbs. However, the 70,000-lb figure refers to the weight of the payload and the vehicle, not just the load of insects. The payload was closer to 50,000 lbs. What’s more, one of the beekeepers on site dropped the estimate way down to 14 million. That’s still a whole lotta stingers.
As silly as it sounds, the public should “bee” careful around Lynden’s new flying residents. See what I did there? In all seriousness, the sheriff’s office reported that “there is no general health risk to the public.” That’s good news, but those with allergies to stings should be mindful of the increased population of the insects and steer as clear of the portion of Weidkamp Road as possible.
