Quarter billion bees escape after truck overturns in Washington

A massive swarm of bees was unleashed in northern Washington state on Friday after a truck transporting active hives overturned near the Canadian border, prompting emergency alerts and a large-scale response involving dozens of beekeepers.

The vehicle was hauling over 31,000kg of active honey bee hives when it flipped over, releasing an estimated 250 million bees into the surrounding area. The incident occurred in Whatcom County, where local officials quickly issued public warnings urging people to steer clear of the area.

“250 million bees are now loose,” the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) said in a statement posted on social media. “AVOID THE AREA due to the potential of bee escaping and swarming.”

Emergency crews worked alongside over two dozen experienced beekeepers to stabilize the scene and recover as many of the insects as possible.

“The goal is to save as many bees as possible,” WCSO noted. Beekeepers on site were seen resetting the box hives—portable containers used to house colonies—while attempting to encourage the bees to return to their queens.

“The plan is to allow the bees to re-hive and find their queen bee,” the sheriff’s office added. “That should occur within the next 24-48 hours.”

Authorities temporarily closed off the crash site while the rescue effort was underway, with officials stating the road would remain shut until the recovery was complete.

By Friday evening, WCSO thanked the “wonderful community of bee-keepers” who had arrived swiftly to assist in the rescue operation, expressing confidence that “most bees should have returned to their hives” by morning.

Video footage released by the sheriff’s office captured clouds of bees swarming around the overturned truck—a dramatic reminder of the scale of modern beekeeping operations.

While commercial beekeepers are often associated with honey production, many also lease out hives to farmers for pollination services, making them an essential part of agricultural ecosystems, especially during peak growing seasons.