Talk About A Sticky Situation

Millions of honeybees swarm I-5 as truck full of bee crates crashes

LYNNWOOD, Wash. - Millions of bees are swarming Interstate 5 in Lynnwood after a semi truck carrying a load of honeybee crates tipped over and crashed as it came off the I-405 interchange in Lynnwood.

Now workers are faced with a dangerous cleanup job as they try to save as many of the stinging insects as they can.

The bees are becoming more active and angry as the sun comes up, and beekeepers are smoking the buzzing insects with something that smells like incense. It disorients the bees and keeps them from swarming.

The bees are in crates full of honeycombs, and the spill stretches nearly a hundred yards along the freeway.

Officials say the driver of the truck reportedly may have taken the curve from I-405 onto I-5 too fast. He tells KOMO News that he popped a front tire and lost control.

News crews at the scene had to swat off honeybees as the insects attacked them en masse

The crash reportedly could be a massive loss for the farm up in Burlington where the bees originated.

And the cleanup is expected to take several hours.

Motorists are strongly advised to roll up their windows as they drive through the area.

Honey is the best thing in the world, with tea as a close second. Organic honey is the best especially when it's still in the wax, but it's got to be real honey and not that fake syrup-looking crap.

This is tragic news! The bee population isn't exactly thriving.

This is tragic news! The bee population isn't exactly thriving.

It doesn't help matters when the orchard farmers along I-5 set the hives out on the freeway side of their orchards. I must've clobbered at least 5000 bees last month while they were actively pollinating their fields.

Kinda sticky situation. I'll bet the reporters swarm to the site.

Kinda sticky situation. I'll bet the reporters swarm to the site.

Perhaps... but I'll bet getting to the middle of this story is going to sting a bit.

Kinda sticky situation. I'll bet the reporters swarm to the site.

Perhaps... but I'll bet getting to the middle of this story is going to sting a bit.

But once they do.... this story with associated pictures and video will be buzzing around the internet for years to come.

You guys do DRONE on some what.

I have two hives that have not been opened in 3 years, they have survived and plan to split them and send a split to another bee keeper about 40 miles away. I opened the top cover after a five minute fight to find some burr comb with "honey" inside. Wow what a great flavour.

There might even bee a lawsuit or two.....