'Bee Emergency' In Canada: Five Million Insects Escape After Crates Fall Off Truck In Toronto

A number of beekeepers got in touch with the police and helped them corral the insects.

Representative Image: A large swarm of 5 million bees got out of a truck in Canada's West Toronto

Source : Getty

Swarms of bees were seen near Toronto in Canada after a truck spilled crates carrying five million bees on a road. Amid the "bee emergency", police warned drivers to keep their car windows closed, AP reported. The bees were being transported to their wintering location when the accident happened.

Halton Regional Police officials said they received a call around 6:15 am that several bee crates had fallen off of a truck on the Guelph Line, north of Dundas Street in Ontario's Burlington. Constable Ryan Anderson said it was "quite the scene", reported the news agency Associated Press.

"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 said.

As the bees started to scatter, police warned pedestrians to avoid the area and urged residents and passing motorists to keep their windows closed.

Police also put out a notice on social media regarding the incident, following which a number of beekeepers got in touch with the cops and offered them help. Six to seven beekeepers arrived at the site of the incident soon after the incident to corral the insects.

"There were a lot of flying bees that made even beekeepers in full suits nervous," beekeeper Michael Barber told BBC. He said some beekeepers were also stung.

In three hours, most of the five million bees was collected safely.Police said the crates were hauled away but some were left behind at the site for the bees to return to them on their own.

AP cited data from Canadian Honey Council (a national association of beekeepers) that a colony of honeybees in summer comprised around 50,000 to 80,000 bees.