Millions Of Bees Escape After Semi Crash Near Yellowstone

Many of us in Montana have made the drive to Yellowstone National Park. We are used to random roadside encounters: bison crossing the highway, elk grazing near a Coke machine, and tourists pulled over on the shoulder snapping a billion photos on a bear. No one would ever expect to run into millions of angry bees.

On Tuesday, a semi-trailer truck carrying dozens of beehives rolled over on U.S. Highway 191, which runs west of Yellowstone. The damaged beehives released millions of bees along the highway. Emergency responders and transportation officials immediately closed off the scene to handle the incident. Plus, beekeepers rushed to the site to do everything in their power to recover from their losses.

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That's a lot of Bees

When I first saw the news headline, I assumed only a small number of beehives had fallen from the truck. But witnesses at the scene described broken beehives spread down the road. Creating a giant swarm of very angry bees.

If you've ever been stung by a single bee while mowing the lawn, imagine being the tow truck operator who pulls up and realizes the cargo is now flying around freely.

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The Cleanup Is Not That Easy

Recovering an overturned semi is usually difficult enough.

Recovering an overturned semi while wearing a bee suit is a completely different challenge.

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Beekeepers say the timing is critical to clean up the wreck. Because once the swarm loses track of their queen bee and the structure of their original hive, they disperse and migrate away. The longer the rescue effort was delayed, the fewer losses they could recover.

A beekeeper from Wyoming was interviewed about the incident and said that this was a devastating financial loss. Commercial beehives not only require extremely high upfront investment, but are also core resources for honey production and agricultural pollination.

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Typical Yellowstone Drama

There is a certain level of unpredictability in traveling around Yellowstone. You never know what you might find. Thankfully, thi bee incident caused no serious injuries to people. Who would have guessed that when traveling to Montana and the Yellowstone region, the random encounters you meet along the road could include not just grizzlies and bison, but millions of homeless bees?