A truck carrying millions of bees overturned in Whatcom County, Washington, just south of the Canada-U.S. border, releasing around 14 million bees into the air. Initially, officials estimated 250 million bees had escaped, but later corrected the number. Authorities warned residents to avoid the area due to the risk of swarming.
On May 30th local police shared this warning:
UPDATE (9a): 250 million bees are now loose. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
ALERT: Weidkamp Road is closed from West Badger to Loomis Trail Road due to the roll-over of a commercial vehicle full of bees.
Fortunately, over two dozen beekeepers arrived to help rescue the bees, recovering and restoring hive boxes. By the next morning, most bees had returned to their hives, ensuring a happy ending to the incident.