Overview

• The truck overturned around 4 a.m. Friday on Weidkamp Road after its driver misjudged a tight turn, dumping about 70,000 pounds of hives near Lynden.
• More than two dozen volunteer beekeepers joined deputies and public works crews to recover, restore and re-hive most of the displaced boxes by Friday afternoon.
• Authorities expect the bees to reunite with their queens and return to their hives by Saturday morning, keeping the road closed for up to 48 hours.
• Residents have been advised to stay at least 200 to 600 feet away from the scene to minimize encounters with swarming bees.
• The rescue effort underscores honeybees’ vital role in pollinating over 100 crops and safeguarding the regional food supply.