20 Million Bees Escape In Idaho Rollover Accident
HOWE, IDAHO – June 25, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) –
Twenty million honey bees were set free – at least temporarily – Thursday morning after a tractor-trailer crash on Highway 33 eight miles south of Howe, Idaho.
According to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office as many as 408 beehives, each with 50,000 bees inside, were strewn across the median after the driver lost control of is rig which then flipped on the side of the road.
The driver escaped uninjured but was forced to run from the accident site for fear of being stung to death.
Sheriff Wes Collins told the media several passing motorcyclists were stung as they drove near the crash site. None of them were seriously injured.
The bees were being transported from the KatieBee Honey Company in Meridian, Idaho to a facility in North Dakota. KatieBee Honey owner Brian Wiggins said the shipment was a total loss and all of the bees would all be dead within a day since they cannot live outside their colonies.
A team of first responders from the nearby Idaho National Laboratory remained at the accident site throughout the day spraying foam on the damaged hives to try and keep the bees from going airborne.
The total loss in the accident is estimated in the range of $200,000.
For more on the story go to:
http://www.localnews8.com/news/Truck-crash-lets-loose-millions-of-bees/33777608
