A Million Bees Swarm Interstate After Florida Man Crashes Big Rig

More than 1 million bees were released following a crash in Florida. Photo: Michael A. McCoy/For The Washington Post (Getty Images)

We’re used to seeing stories about trucks spilling all manner of loads across U.S. highways when they collide. We’ve had trucks full of beer roll off the highway, corn spilled across the road and even $5 million in coins spewed across the path. Now, a truck crash in Florida has spawned a swarm of a million bees after its load broke free following a collision on Interstate 10.

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According to First Coast News in Florida, a semi carrying the bees was traveling westbound on I-10 in the early hours of Tuesday morning when it was hit by a big rig truck merging onto the highway. The semi was being driven by a 20-year-old Georgia man while a 26-year-old from Florida was at the wheel of the big rig.

Following the 3 am crash, the trailer of the semi broke open, releasing its cargo out onto the highway. But, rather than simply spilling across the road, the bees on board swarmed the highway.

More than a million bees were released into Duval County following the crash. Highway patrol officers responding to the collision had to call on professional beekeepers to help round up the insects. By 10:09 am, First Coast News reported that the bees had mostly been contained, but locals are still being urged to remain cautious.

Neither driver was injured in the collision and there are no reports yet on the condition of the bees following the incident.

Bees are shipped around the U.S. to pollinate crops. Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg (Getty Images)

But why were a million bees in the back of a truck, and not just flying around minding their own business? Well, bees are an important agricultural worker in the U.S. as they are essential pollinators that help in the growing of crops such as apples, peaches, and almonds.

As such, beekeepers across America often ship their hives all around the country. They’ll set up their bees on a farm and release them into the orchards and plantations to work pollinating all the flowers.

Once that pollinating season is over, they’ll get loaded back into the hives, packed into a truck, and sent off to the next farm in need of fertilizing. Hopefully, there isn’t a crash in between.