Millions of honeybees escaped into a rural Texas neighborhood on June 21 after a semi-truck carrying over 400 hives overturned. The incident occurred in Orange County when an 18-wheeler, transporting 408 colonies of commercial bees, tipped while navigating a narrow road.
The number of bees in a colony can range from 40,000 to 80,000, potentially releasing around 24 million bees into the area. According to Queen Bee Supply LLC, a local apiary business, the truck had just been loaded and was en route to North Dakota.
The driver of the truck reportedly took an incorrect turn into a neighborhood with tight roads, leading to the vehicle tipping over while attempting to maneuver a corner. Jake Moore, co-manager of Moore Honey, stated that the driver should not have been on that route. The truck and its cargo can weigh between 45,000 and 48,000 pounds. Chris Moore, Jake's father and business partner, described the accident as not major, noting that the truck "slowly laid over in the ditch."
Following the incident, Orange County Emergency Services closed roads and advised residents to stay indoors while law enforcement and assisting agencies responded. Multiple local beekeepers collaborated with county emergency services in a recovery effort that lasted over six hours. The bees and equipment were manually unloaded from the truck and transported to a nearby honey farm.
Volunteers, including both backyard hobbyists and commercial beekeepers, assisted in collecting stray bees and cleaning the scene. Christie Ray of Queen Bee Supply LLC provided protective gear for first responders and documented the cleanup. The process involved unloading more than 1,200 boxes by hand.
Jake Moore expressed skepticism about the survival rate of the colonies, estimating that "25 to 30 percent of them actually made it through this." No serious injuries were reported in connection with the event. The owner of the hives has not been publicly identified.
"When something goes wrong, the consequences can be enormous - not just for the bees, but for the beekeeper whose livelihood is riding on that truck," Moore added.