Millions of bees created a terrifying scene after they were released when a semi carrying hives overturned in southwest Texas on Sunday morning.
A reported 50,000 pounds of bees escaped when the semi failed to negotiate a turn on Colony Lane in Mauriceville. While first responders tried to gather local beekeepers to help capture the bees and move them to another truck, locals were advised to stay inside their homes.
“Everyone that lives in the 1130/Colony Dr. area please remain indoors. An 18 wheeler carrying beehives has turned over and there is a heavy presence of bees in the area OCSO and ESD4 units are on scene,” Orange County Emergency Services District #4 warned.
An estimated 2 million bees escaped in the crash. Christie Ray of Queen Bee Supply posted pictures of beekeepers and first responders working to secure the accident scene and collect the insects.
“Not something you ever want to see, but so nice to see beekeepers helping beekeepers. From commercial outfits to backyard beekeepers, grateful for everyone that came out and helped!” she wrote on Facebook, along with the very appropriate hashtag #notforthefaintofheart.
KFDM News reported that a bee stung one of its photographers while he was getting video from the scene. Other than that, no one else reported any injuries.
A similar incident involving bees happened recently in North Dakota
Less than two months ago, another semi crash released nearly two million bees in North Dakota. In that incident, the bees stung the driver hundreds of times.
The bees were in the 600 to 800 hives that the semi was transporting in its trailer. The hives separated from the trailer during the rollover, releasing the bees.
Once out of the truck’s cab, the driver ran to the nearby Sheyenne River to try to get away from the stinging insects. Barnes County Ambulance eventually took him to Mercy Hospital in Valley City for treatment of hundreds of stings.