Texas Neighborhood on Alert as Millions of Bees Flee Crash

WHO:

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Orange County Emergency Services issued warnings to residents.

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Christie Ray, owner of Queen Bee Supply, mentioned volunteers from three or four other beekeeping businesses helped at the crash scene.

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Chris Moore, owner of Moore Honey, participated in the effort to salvage the hives.

WHAT:

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Millions of honeybees escaped after a semitrailer carrying about 400 hives tipped over.

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Emergency officials shut down roads in the area and warned residents to stay indoors.

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - No bee stings or serious injuries were reported immediately.

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Chris Moore estimated that only about a quarter of the 408 hives will survive.

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Moore stated, "It's a big loss. Any time you lose that many in one shot, it's a big loss."

WHERE:

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - The incident occurred in a rural neighborhood in Orange County, Texas, which is located east of Houston and borders Louisiana.

WHEN:

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - The crash occurred on a Sunday morning.

WHY:

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - The truck driver took a wrong turn and ended up in a neighborhood with narrow roads, leading to the trailer tipping over while trying to navigate a tight corner.

HOW:

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Local beekeepers put out catch boxes to collect remaining stray bees.

[6:22 AM EDT] - CBS News - Crews worked to unload the trailer and salvage as many hives as possible.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 11:58 UTC)

In a rural neighborhood of Orange County, Texas, millions of honeybees escaped after a semitrailer carrying about 400 hives tipped over when the driver took a wrong turn. Emergency services issued warnings to residents, advising them to stay indoors while local beekeepers, including Christie Ray and Chris Moore, worked together to salvage as many hives as possible and collect stray bees. Fortunately, no serious injuries or bee stings were reported, but Moore estimated that only about a quarter of the hives will survive, calling it "a big loss."