A truck carrying a load of bees overturned along Highway 191 in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday, June 16th, likely spilling tens of thousands of the insects out into the park.
Information on the incident is sparse, but reports from those who witnessed the crashed truck said that authorities, likely including national park officers, responded and worked to cleanup the crash.
The crash seems to have occurred on Highway 191 north of West Yellowstone, potentially in an area of the park that’s inside the state of Idaho. Unofficial Networks will continue to monitor the situation and update as possible.
According to the Emergency Response to Accidents Involving Honey Bees plan from Michigan State University, cleaning up the scene of a crash involving a truck hauling honey bees is a multi-stage operation. Commercial beekeepers are considered the best-equipped people to manage recovery, using hive equipment placed near the scene to draw surviving bees together by scent.
Any bees that cannot be collected can be destroyed to minimize risk to people and animals in the area. Honey and hive debris left at the scene can continue attracting bees and wildlife long after the truck is gone, creating an ongoing hazard.
Responders may need to bring in additional trucks, trailers, or forklifts to move damaged equipment, and a dumpster or dump trailer may be required if enough hive boxes are destroyed beyond reuse. Follow-up visits to remove remaining equipment and wash away residual honey are considered a necessary part of the response.
