Escaped bees cause havoc in Washington State
A rescue operation is underway in the US State of Washington after over 250 million bees escaped, when the truck they were being transported in overturned on a major highway.
The truck which was hauling around 70,000 lbs of active honey bee hives, flipped over on a road near the Canadian border, prompting authorities there to issue warnings for the general public to avoid the area. Stock image
The Whatcom County Sherrifs office said they had put out a call and received help from a number of local beekeepers who were trying to recapture as many of the stinging insects as possible and said the site of the crash would remain closed until the rescue is completed.
A statement issued by the local police said '250 million bees are now loose' and the public were being advised to avoid the area due to the potential of bee swarms forming.
Photo: Whatcom County Sherriffs Office
Police said 'The plan is to allow these bees to re-hive and find their queen bee and that should occur within the next 24 to 48 hours'.
While a lot of bee-keepers aim only to produce honey, some of the others rent out their hives to local farmers who need the bees to polllinate their crops.
Its hoped the majority of the bees will find their way home before the weekend is out.
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