New Buzz: 5 Million Bees Fell Off Truck Near Toronto

How fitting for a story in our “Buzz” section. On Wednesday, crates carrying five million bees fell off a truck and onto Guelph Line, north of Dundas Street, in Burlington, Ontario, just west of Toronto.

Halton Regional Police said they received a call around 6:15 a.m. reporting the bee crates had come loose and spilled onto the road.

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It was “quite the scene,” Constable Ryan Anderson told local media. “Crates were literally on the road and swarms of bees were flying around. The initial beekeeper that was on scene was apparently stung a few times.”

Police immediately warned drivers to close their windows as they passed by and for pedestrians to avoid the area.

Thanks to the bee keepers who have arrived on scene to assist with the cleanup. Much appreciated.
We ask residents continue to avoid the area as the cleanup is expected to take some time. https://t.co/vfQraOriAe

— Halton Police (@HaltonPolice) August 30, 2023

About an hour following the post above, several beekeepers reached out to police offering to help.

By mid-morning, most of the 5 million bees had been safely collected and the crates were being hauled away.

However, some crates were left behind for the uncollected bees to return to them on their own.

**UPDATE**
Thanks to the overwhelming response from beekeepers coming to help we expect the scene to be clear in approx. 30 mins.
The majority of the bees have been safely collected and crates will be hauled away. https://t.co/rCT0Hyyt4U

— Halton Police (@HaltonPolice) August 30, 2023