Texas Beekeepers Recover 20 Million Bees After Truck Overturns on Colony Drive
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 24
Texas Beekeepers Recover 20 Million Bees After Truck Overturns on Colony Drive
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 24
Summary
A dozen southeastern Texas beekeepers rushed to an Orange County ditch after an 18-wheeler overturned, working to recover about 20 million honeybees from roughly 400 colonies.
Most bees were trapped in overturned boxes inside the trailer, though some escaped into the surrounding rural area after the driver reportedly made a bad turn onto flooded, curvy Colony Drive.
Orange County authorities closed roads and sent an emergency alert to residents within a 1.5-mile radius, warning of a heavy bee presence and urging them to stay indoors Sunday morning.
The rescue turned a potentially dangerous spill into a largely controlled recovery, with local beekeepers stepping in quickly to contain bees used for commercial pollination.