One wrong turn became the prelude to disaster Sunday as a truck carrying more than 400 beehives tipped over in Orange County, Texas.
Estimates from the scene of the accident put the number of bees released at about 2 million, according to USA Today.
“Everyone that lives in the 1130/Colony Dr. area please remain indoors. An 18 wheeler carrying beehives has turned over and there is a heavy presence of bees in the area OCSO and ESD4 units are on scene,” Orange County Emergency Services posted on Facebook after the incident.
Traffic disruptions remained in effect through Monday as residents of the area were encouraged to avoid the scene of the accident.
Millions of honeybees swarmed a Texas neighborhood after an 18-wheeler carrying 406 hives overturned on Sunday, June 21.
Footage recorded by Christie Ray of Queen Bee Supply shows emergency crews and local beekeepers in protective suits working to recover the colonies amid dense… pic.twitter.com/BqQ6UmaI5i
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) June 23, 2026
No serious injuries were reported in the eastern Texas county near the Louisiana state line, according to CBS News.
Christie Ray, who owns nearby Queen Bee Supply, said volunteers from beekeeping businesses near the crash stepped in to help.
“They just help each other, that’s what they do,” Ray said. “The beekeeping community is a great community.”
Millions of honeybees escaped into a rural Texas neighborhood after a semitrailer carrying about 400 hives tipped over, officials said. Video shows beekeepers trying to gather up the bees. pic.twitter.com/Yy5j4iMlqZ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 23, 2026
Chris Moore, owner of Moore Honey, estimated only a quarter of the 408 hives on board will survive.
“It’s a big loss,” Moore said. “Any time you lose that many in one shot, it’s a big loss.”
The bees were on the road as part of a strand of the beekeeping industry that trucks bees to states like California for commercial pollination or to Southern and Midwestern states for honey production.
The hives that were involved in Sunday’s accident were bound for North Dakota.
However, the driver made a wrong turn. The truck ended up on roads that were too narrow for its size, leading it to tip over after the driver tried to make a sharp corner.
Millions of honeybees escaped into a rural Texas neighborhood after a truck carrying about 400 hives tipped over, officials said. https://t.co/L9kP3KfeKc
— CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) June 23, 2026
Although local beekeepers are working to corral as many bees as they can, Moore said it will be some time before the area of the crash is clear.
“Not something you ever want to see, but so nice to see beekeepers helping beekeepers. From commercial outfits to backyard beekeepers grateful for everyone that came out and helped!” Queen Bee Supply posted on Facebook.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as crews work to safely resolve this incident,” Orange County Emergency Services wrote.
The Texas crash is big, but not as big as an accident last year in Washington state, when about 14 million bees escaped after a truck hauling pollinator hives rolled over, according to CBS.
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