A truck carrying 70,000 pounds of honey bee hives overturned on Weidkamp Road, unleashing 14 million bees near the Canadian border. The bizarre honey bee spill closed the Washington roadway for a full day, as more than two dozen beekeepers worked to corral the swarms. Officials said, “The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible.”

After the crash, hive boxes were recovered and restored, but millions of bees buzzed freely, with many expected to go wild or join local colonies. The scene turned Weidkamp Road into a surreal, buzzing rescue zone, as beekeepers and officials joked, “By morning, most bees should have returned to their hives.”

Beekeepers estimate that the bees who didn’t return to their hives will likely turn wild, boosting local bee populations and forming new swarms across Washington.