Latest news with #beekeeping
The Guardian
an hour ago
- General
- The Guardian
Bee-ware: truck carrying 250m honeybees overturns by US-Canada border
Officials near the US border were abuzz after being relentlessly attacked on Friday morning by a swarm of fugitives: honeybees had escaped after a truck carrying hives overturned near the Canadian border. About 250m honeybees flew free of the truck around 4am a few miles south of Canada. The truck that was transporting around 70,000lbs of hives and honeybees rolled over on a road in north-western Washington state. Local sheriff deputies and bee experts swarmed to the scene, where they removed the box hives to help recover and rescue as many bees as possible. The driver of the truck was not injured. Hours later, officials could not bee-lieve that the bees began to swarm and sting the deputies. Some sheriff deputies took refuge in their patrol cars to avoid the stinging swarm. According to a sheriff spokesperson, the driver was neither drunk nor buzzed, rather, the driver likely did not navigate a sharp turn well enough, causing the trailer to roll. This article includes content provided by Facebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Officials warned the public to bee careful and avoid the area, to prevent getting stung. Several beekeeping experts are developing plans to 'save as many bees as possible', the spokesperson told the Seattle Times. The current plan includes closing a road for a couple of days while the bees calm down, bee-have and re-enter their hives, which will then be gathered and secured. The sting operation may be successful, a bee expert told the New York Times, saying that honeybees are social and will likely settle close to the truck. 'Thank you to the wonderful community of beekeepers: over two dozen showed up to help ensure the rescue of millions of pollinating honey bees would be as successful as possible,' the sheriff's office said in a post, as reported by the Associated Press. Honeybee colonies are important and crucial to the world's food supply by pollinating crops. But they are fragile and have been placed under further stress in recent years by a number of factors, including insecticides, parasites and the climate crisis.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Saving Samoa's bees; a mission in motion
This Week on Radio Australia — we're turning up the volume on Pacific voices! On Nesia Daily, hosts Jacob McQuire and Michael Chow buzz into the world of beekeeping in Samoa, catching up with a local beekeeper in the wake of World Bee Day. Over on Politok, Scott Waide dives deep into the Pacific's health crisis unpacking the political pulse behind the region's struggling systems. And on Nesian Footy, Sam Wykes and Tinirau Arona go one-on-one with a former rugby star, tracing his wild ride across continents — the highs, the heartbreaks, and everything in between. From culture to current affairs, sport to storytelling — it's all happening this week on Radio Australia. Relax into your Sunday morning with two hours of the best stories from across the Pacific. Host Kuntamari crofts, will take you on a Pacific Sundays journey, bringing you stories that will inspire, entertain and inform you.
BreakingNews.ie
3 hours ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Millions of bees escape after lorry overturns
There was a buzz in the air in Washington state as about 250 million honeybees escaped after a lorry overturned. The vehicle hauling an estimated 70,000lb of honeybee hives rolled over close to the Canadian border near Lynden, Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said in social media posts. Advertisement The driver appears to have lost control on a tight turn, causing the trailer to roll into a ditch, county emergency management spokeswoman Amy Cloud said. The driver was uninjured. Emergency services and several bee experts responded to the scene, and local beekeepers helped to recover, restore and reset the hives, according to the sheriff's office. (Whatcom County Sheriff's Office/PA) The plan is to allow the bees to return to their hives and find their queen bee in the next day or two, according to the sheriff's office. The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible. 'Thank you to the wonderful community of beekeepers: over two dozen showed up to help ensure the rescue of millions of pollinating honey bees would be as successful as possible,' the sheriff's office said. Advertisement The public were advised to avoid the area on Friday, and sheriff's deputies dived into their patrol cars at times to avoid being stung. Honeybees are crucial to the food supply, pollinating more than 100 crops including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus and melons. Bees and other pollinators have been declining for years, and experts blame insecticides, parasites, disease, climate change and lack of a diverse food supply. In 2018, the UN General Assembly sponsored the first World Bee Day on May 20 to bring attention to the bees' plight. Advertisement Beekeepers often transport millions of bees from one location to another because leaving them in one location for too long can deplete resources for other pollinators, the Seattle Times reported. Alan Woods, president of Washington State Beekeepers Association, told the newspaper the state should have a standardised 'emergency bee response' for bee vehicle crashes. In 2015, 14 million bees escaped from a truck north of Seattle on Interstate 5 and started stinging people, the newspaper reported at the time.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Millions of honeybees abuzz after truck overturns in Washington state
There was a buzz in the air Friday in northwestern Washington state as about 250 million honeybees escaped a commercial truck that overturned. The truck hauling an estimated 70,000 pounds (31,751 kilograms) of honeybee hives rolled over around 4 a.m. close to the Canadian border near Lynden, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said in social media posts. It appears the driver did not navigate a tight turn well enough, causing the trailer to roll into a ditch, county emergency management spokesperson Amy Cloud said in an email. The driver was uninjured, Cloud said. Deputies, county public works employees and several bee experts responded to the scene. The box hives later came off the truck, and local beekeepers swarmed to help recover, restore and reset the hives, according to the sheriff's office. The plan is to allow the bees to return to their hives and find their queen bee in the next day or two, according to the sheriff's office. The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible. 'Thank you to the wonderful community of beekeepers: over two dozen showed up to help ensure the rescue of millions of pollinating honey bees would be as successful as possible,' the sheriff's office post said. The public was advised to avoid the area on Friday, and sheriff's deputies dove into in their squad cars at times to avoid being stung. Honeybees are crucial to the food supply, pollinating over 100 crops including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus and melons. Bees and other pollinators have been declining for years, and experts blame insecticides, parasites, disease, climate change and lack of a diverse food supply. In 2018, the U.N. General Assembly sponsored the first 'World Bee Day' on May 20 to bring attention to the bees' plight. Beekeepers often transport millions of bees from one location to another because leaving them in one location for too long can deplete resources for other pollinators, The Seattle Times reported. Alan Woods, president of the Washington State Beekeepers Association, told the newspaper the state should have a standardized 'emergency bee response' for bee vehicle crashes. In 2015, 14 million bees escaped a truck north of Seattle on Interstate 5 and started stinging people, the newspaper reported at the time.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Shares Sweet Beekeeping Moment With Daughter Lilibet
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex gave followers a rare glimpse into life with 3-year-old daughter Lilibet, sharing a charming video on Instagram of the pair beekeeping together. Dressed in matching white beekeeper suits—with Lilibet sporting rainbow galoshes—the two approach a hive while 'Sugar, Sugar' by The Archies plays in the background. At one point, Lilibet looks up to Meghan for reassurance, and in another sweet moment, Meghan gently rests a gloved hand on her daughter's back while speaking to her. The Duchess has previously shared her love for beekeeping on her Netflix series With Love, Meghan...
