2 million bees escape after truck overturns in Texas

An estimated 2 million bees escaped after an 18-wheeler carrying beehives overturned in Southeast Texas, according to officials and local media. Nearby residents were told to stay indoors while crews worked to recover the hives.

The truck overturned Sunday morning near Colony Lane and Colony Drive, in the area of FM 1130 in Orange County, Texas, according to Orange County Emergency Services District No. 4.

Officials told residents in the 1130 and Colony Drive area to remain indoors because of a “heavy presence of bees” after the crash. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office and emergency crews responded to the scene.

KOGT reported that the truck was carrying about 50,000 pounds of bees when the driver failed to negotiate a turn on Colony Lane. The driver was not injured.

KBTX reported that about 2 million bees escaped after the crash.

Photos shared by Queen Bee Supply LLC showed the overturned trailer on its side as beekeepers in protective suits worked around stacks of hive boxes. Another photo showed a large cluster of bees covering part of a tree near the crash scene.

Crews spent hours unloading the overturned trailer and transferring the hives onto transport trucks to be taken to a local honey farm, officials said.

By Sunday afternoon, officials said the trailer was about 75% unloaded, but the rear portion of the neighborhood remained closed to traffic as the work continued.

Residents in the immediate area were urged to use caution and avoid the work zone.