Mar 16, 2008 9:31 pm US/Eastern
Millions Of Bees Swarm After Big Rig Accident
SACRAMENTO (CBS) ―
Millions of bees swarmed around a busy highway interchange after an accident in south Sacramento, forcing workers to don protective gear to avoid being stung. When a big rig's load of nearly 400 hives overturned on Highway 99 near Florin Road, as many as 10 million bees escaped into the air.
"They're just confused," said Elisha Devai, a beekeeper working to clean up the mess. "The problem is that there are so many broken boxes that we're stacking them one on top of the other, and they don't belong together. They're going to be swarming around for a while."
Beekeepers stepped into the middle of the swarm with protective gear duct taped to their bodies, working to corral the estimated 8 to 10 million bees that the truck was carrying. There were no serious injuries in the accident, and the California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause.
"It was possibly an unsafe speed for his load," said a CHP spokesman.
Authorities are advising motorists travelling through the area to keep their windows rolled up and air conditioners off.
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