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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Whatcom County Sheriff's Office via AP/Alamy Stock Photo keeping buzzy Hundreds of millions of bees escape after lorry overturns in Washington The vehicle hauling an estimated 70,000lb of honeybee hives rolled over close to the Canadian border. 6.42pm, 31 May 2025 Share options 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. 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. 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. 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. Press Association View 7 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Hundreds of millions of bees escape after lorry overturns in Washington”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Hundreds of millions of bees escape after lorry overturns in Washington”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. 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