An early morning truck crash near the Canadian border unleashed chaos in the form of 250 million honey bees, prompting road closures and an unusual emergency response.

The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. on Friday, May 30, 2025, on Weidkamp Road in rural Whatcom County. A semi-truck carrying 70,000 pounds of beehives overturned, spilling its massive cargo of live bees across the roadway. The trailer reportedly came to a stop twisted across the road, though the exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Officials shut down Weidkamp Road between Loomis Trail Road and West Badger to contain the situation. The closure is expected to last 24 to 48 hours while beekeepers work to recover the hives and allow the bees to return on their own.

"The goal is to save as many of the bees as possible,” said Amy Cloud, spokesperson for the Whatcom County Division of Emergency Management. “We're giving them time to re-hive and locate their queen.”

Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area during recovery efforts.