- A truck carrying five million bees swerved and spilled its hives on a road in Canada on Wednesday.
- Responding officers had to call local beekeepers for help because they couldn't exit their vehicles.
Around five million bees were accidentally tossed from a truck in Canada on Wednesday, spilling onto roads and befuddling the authorities.
The driver of the truck, Tristan Jameson, was transporting beehives through Burlington, Ontario in the early morning when he saw something dart in the way of his truck, he told the Canadian media outlet Global News.
"I was driving down the road, something ran across, or a bag, and I swerved," Jameson told the outlet. "Nearly swerved into the ditch, tried to correct, and dumped all the hives."
The local police department later posted a photo of the dropped crates, warning motorists in the area to close their vehicle windows and for people to stay clear.
Guelph Ln north of Dundas - Officers dealing with load of 5 million bees fallen off truck onto roadway. Passing vehicles/residents advised to close windows & pedestrians avoid area until clear. ^jwf pic.twitter.com/evuVoyL1Fc
— HRPS Burlington (@HRPSBurl) August 30, 2023
Mike Barber, a local beekeeper, told The New York Times that he and other beekeepers were summoned to the scene, where police officers couldn't exit their vehicles because of the swarms engulfing the area.
"It was quite hilarious because none of the police or first responders would get out of their vehicles, so you had all of these beekeepers walking around in full suits, and everyone else staying a safe distance away," Barber told The Times.
The sky was "dark with bees," and the beekeepers worked while the insects flew around them like "a million little helicopters," Barber told the outlet.
The beekeeping team, who assembled after learning about the accident through news outlets or social media, eventually gathered the hives together to entice the bees to return, Barber told The Times.
Barber also told the BBC that the bees had dispersed as far as 1,300 feet away, but that about a dozen beekeepers eventually retrieved most of the wayward insects.
In several posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Halton Police Department said it received an "overwhelming response" from beekeepers, and thanked those who showed up to help.
"We ask residents continue to avoid the area as the cleanup is expected to take some time," the department wrote.
It added that some crates were left behind for the remaining bees, and that these hives will be collected soon.