ORANGE COUNTY, Texas (TNND) — An 18-wheeler carrying hundreds of beehives overturned Sunday morning, resulting in the escape of millions of honeybees.
According to Orange County Emergency Services, residents were advised to stay indoors due to a significant number of bees in the area. Emergency crews continued to work throughout the afternoon to safely transfer the hives onto transport trucks for relocation to a local honey farm.
Local beekeepers and volunteers aided in the recovery efforts, sharing updates on social media. Christie Ray, owner of Queen Bee Supply, expressed gratitude for the community response, stating, “Not something you ever want to see, but so nice to see beekeepers helping beekeepers.”
No serious injuries were reported; however, some dogs in the vicinity were stung. Chris Moore, owner of Moore Honey, estimated that only about a quarter of the 408 hives might survive, contingent upon the viability of the queen bees.
Moore indicated that the truck driver had taken a wrong turn onto narrow neighborhood streets, where the trailer tipped over while navigating a tight corner, leading to the release of the bees.