Filed under: Etc.
12 million bees shut down California highway
It was a stinging revelation on State Route 99 in Sacramento, California, yesterday: mixing 12 million honeybees, a top-heavy tractor trailer and a tight freeway on-ramp makes a painfully sticky mess that will quickly bring traffic to a halt.
With an estimated 440 bee hives smashed on the side of the highway, and millions of stressed-out bees buzzing wildly and looking for victims, disaster was thankfully averted by a group of beekeepers who happened upon the accident (there's never a cop when you need one, but apparently beekeepers are readily available). Once their hives were re-assembled on another flatbed, the tiny insects made a bee-line for the shelter and, sweet ending in sight, began to bee-have themselves once again. Thanks to everyone who bugged us about the story!
[Source: Baltimore Sun]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
SPG 4:05PM (3/18/2008)
Put the top up and close all the windows motorists!
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John Johnson 4:07PM (3/18/2008)
Remember the movie Christmas Story, about Ralphie and the Red Ryder BB gun? The scene where he fantasizes about bandits coming to rob them and he fends them all off with his BB gun?
That had to be what those beekeepers felt like. They had to have been imagining that scenario for years and were like "ZOMG OPPORTUNITY!"
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MastrCake 4:08PM (3/18/2008)
Holy cow 12 million? IT'S MADNESS!!!
---You have DIABEETUS!!!---
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Allan 4:16PM (3/18/2008)
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/hmmm-diabeetus-you-say.jpg
MastrCake 7:45PM (3/18/2008)
Haha that was great. Smart move!
Alex 4:23PM (3/18/2008)
I thought we killed off all the bees?
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FrankTheCrank 4:26PM (3/18/2008)
There's a joke in there somewhere.
The 440, the Bee's, California....
For some reason, all I could think about was a Dodge Super Bee with a 440 6-pack.
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J.Crew 4:28PM (3/18/2008)
Tommy Boy - Bees everywhere!! Your guns are useless against them!!
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Sean Flanagan 4:31PM (3/18/2008)
I would punch every bee in the face.
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Mike 4:37PM (3/18/2008)
I actually laughed at you comment. Like something I would say.
Bryan 9:29PM (3/18/2008)
Aww, cute Autoblog made a love connection :)
Whiplash 4:32PM (3/18/2008)
I thought The Register had a much better headline for this story:
California Highway Patrol Rounds up Queens, Workers
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/17/bee_accident/
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jamey 4:33PM (3/18/2008)
I think I need a shower to wash off all these puns.
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Dan 4:36PM (3/18/2008)
State Highway 99, not Interstate.
That is all.
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Michael Harley 5:00PM (3/18/2008)
Fixed. ;-)
k.w.a 5:02PM (3/18/2008)
LOL....this story, and you bloggers are hilarious.
It's always funny to hear about somebody's random/useless talent saving the entire day. people like that (I've learned from personal experience) are very helpful.
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Matt DeCillis 2:04PM (3/19/2008)
Are you calling bee keepers useless? HA! You have no idea how important they are do you? Do you know that a lot of farmers have to rent bees from said bee keepers to pollenate their crops because of the dying bee population? What's worse is that the bee keepers are losing bees to disease too. No bees, no farms, no vegetables, no flowers, NOTHING. If you have kids, you should watch The Bee Movie. Very entertaining and educational.
k.w.a 2:29PM (3/19/2008)
that's why i said random/useless. it's more of a random skill than a useless one...however you'd never think you'd need bee keepers to clean up a major highway mess!
DarthLost 5:15PM (3/18/2008)
I live 2 miles away from where it happened. I couldnt leave the house, im allergic to bees, and they were everywhere
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TMC 5:42PM (3/18/2008)
I actually got stuck in the jam this caused on Sunday.
As I was approaching the area, one of those Caltrans signboards read:
"BEE TRUCK ACCIDENT AT FLORIN ROAD, ROLL UP WINDOWS"
LOL
I had never seen so many bees buzzing around in one place in my life. Nor had I ever seen a fireman with a beekeeper's hat on!
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