25 Million 'Bees Swarm' Causes 4 Hours of Chaos... Beekeeping Truck Overturns on US Highway

416 Beekeeping Boxes Spilled on Utah Road
Firefighters Spray Foam to Manage Scene

A beekeeping truck overturned on a U.S. highway, causing tens of millions of bees to spill onto the road, creating a commotion. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] An incident occurred on a U.S. highway where a beekeeping truck carrying honeybees overturned, spilling approximately 25 million bees onto the road.

According to the Washington Post (WP) and others on the 2nd (local time), a beekeeping truck overturned while speeding on a curved section of Utah State Route 80 on the 27th of last month.

As a result of the accident, more than 25 million honeybees housed in 416 beekeeping boxes were released onto the road. The spilled bees flew over the road, quickly forming a "bee swarm cloud," and attacked the truck driver and one colleague who escaped from the overturned vehicle. Both individuals stung by the bees were transported to a hospital for treatment.

Highway patrol officers and firefighters who responded to the scene closed the road for four hours to manage the accident. They also warned drivers entering the accident area about the bee swarm attacks and advised them to keep their windows closed.

With permission from the honeybee owner, the beekeeper, firefighters sprayed fire suppression foam to subdue the bee swarm. These honeybees were originally raised to assist in crop pollination.

Julie Arthur, president of the Utah Regional Beekeeping Association, said, "Only 10% of the honeybees loaded on the truck survived," adding, "I was very saddened to see piles of dead honeybees after being sprayed with the fire foam."

Arthur and volunteers collected 2.5 million surviving bees around the highway the day after the accident. These bees are planned to be used for beekeeper training purposes.