Approximately 250 million bees swarmed the Washington State city of Lynden after the truck transporting them overturned. As a result, beekeepers are fighting to save millions of bees to make them rehive.
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According to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), the incident took place on Friday, May 30, at around 4 a.m. On Weidkamp Road, in the area between Loomis Trail Rd. and W. Badger, Berthusen Park, a truck carrying 70,000 pounds of honey bee hives, all of which contained live bees, overturned.
As a result, at around 9 a.m., the hives came off the track. Left loose, approximately 250 million bees managed to escape. WCSO deputies, Whatcom County Public Works, and bee experts responded to the scene, with Weidkamp Road set to be closed for 48 hours while authorities and beekeepers deal with the issue.
“Master beekeepers are on scene, and others are on the way to assist in re-setting the box hives,” the WCSO said. “The plan is to allow the bees to re-hive and find their queen bee. That should occur within the next 24-48 hours. The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible.”
The WCSO stated that there is “no general health risk to the public.” However, the sheriff’s office advised the public to avoid the area and “stay away at least 200 yards.”
“Anyone who is allergic to bee stings or has concerns should check the State Department of Health webpage on bees and wasps,” the WCSO added.
Bee Expert At The Scene
Among the many who responded is bee expert Derek Condit, author of The Natural Beekeeper’s Path: Treatment-Free Practices for a Living World. He explained to KOMO News that, after the hives collapsed, they now have to rebuild them.
“So, it’s not necessarily something we can go up with the keepers and just grab the beehives that are collapsing and falling apart,” Condit said. “We’re basically one by one rebuilding the beehives, putting the frames back in and have to stack them.”
In a video shared online by Condit, the millions of bees are seen flying all around him. He also captured the overturned truck and the collapsed beehives.