Big buzz as 5 million bees escape in Canada to make biggest swarm ever

A truck carrying five million bees overturned on a road near Toronto, Ontario, prompting police to warn drivers to keep their car windows closed.

The bee crates fell off the truck in Burlington, Ontario, at around 6:15 am on Wednesday. Police said the initial beekeeper on the scene was stung a few times.

“We’re not sure how or what exactly took place but at some point, the boxes containing bees or beehives slid off the trailer and spilt all over the road,” Constable Ryan Anderson, told CBC News.

Police put out a notice on social media asking for help from beekeepers, and six or seven beekeepers arrived to help recapture the bees. By around 9:15 am, most of the bees had been collected and the crates were being hauled away.

It is thought the bees were being transported as part of a pollination service, in which farmers hire beekeepers to help pollinate their crops.

A colony of honeybees in summer has about 50,000 to 80,000 bees, according to the Canadian Honey Council, a national association of beekeepers.

The incident is a reminder of the importance of bees to the environment. Bees are responsible for pollinating many of the crops we eat, and their populations have been declining in recent years due to factors such as climate change and pesticide use.

It is fortunate that most of the bees in this incident were able to be safely recaptured. Beekeepers play an important role in helping to protect bee populations, and their quick response to this incident helped to minimize the impact on the bees.