ORANGE COUNTY, Texas - At least 24 million bees occupying hundreds of bee hives were unintentionally let loose when the truck transporting them rolled over in Orange County, Texas, on Sunday.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said an 18-wheeler rolled over, causing millions of bees in several hives to scatter in the Colony Lane and Colony Drive area.
A local company called Queen Bee Supply LLC said the truck didn't make a turn, causing it to rollover.
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There were approximately 400 hives on the truck, and each hive has about 60,000 to 80,000 bees in them, according to Queen Bee Supply LLC.
The bees were commercial beekeeper bees that were headed up north to pollinate crops. A few commercial outfits and backyard beekeepers came out to help safely relocate the bees.
"Not something you ever want to see, but so nice to see beekeepers helping beekeepers," Queen Bee Supply LLC said on Facebook.
Cleanup efforts continued into the day Monday as bee swarms could be seen congregating on nearby fences and trees.
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Residents in the area were asked to stay indoors, use caution and avoid the work zone. Portions of the affected neighborhood were shut down until operations were complete.
Crews worked to safely transfer the hives onto transport trucks, which were hauled away to a local honey farm, according to Orange County Emergency Services District 4.
Most of the bees have since been safely relocated.
"We appreciate everyone's patience and cooperation as crews work to safely resolve this incident," fire officials said on Facebook.
When numerous bees are suddenly let loose, they tend to be surprisingly docile. Their main goal is to find a new home, not to attack.
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However, an unmanaged swarm can cause temporary chaos, pose stinging risks and disrupt local ecosystems.
In a situation like this where it's unknown if queen bees survived the crash, hives tend to swarm and the worker bees urgently nurture a new queen to lead the colony, according to Foxhound Bee Company.
If you encounter a swarm, fire officials say you should run away, quickly hide and protect your head and face.
It's also important not to swat at the bees, as this can provoke an attack.
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