Beekeepers Race to Save Thousands of Bees After Highway Truck Crash

A critical operation is underway on Queensland's Warrego Highway to rescue thousands of bees following a truck crash that spilled its cargo of approximately 360 beehives. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning between Mungallala and Mitchell, about 600km west of Brisbane, closing the eastbound lane and necessitating traffic control.

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We're very lucky that the bees sort of naturally stay in their cluster and we've been able to keep them together as best we could.

A team of nine beekeepers from across southern Queensland has converged on the scene, working against the clock to save as many bees as possible. Using beekeeping smoke to calm the agitated insects, they face a challenging and "confronting scene" as angry swarms hover around the wreckage. Vice-president of the Queensland Beekeepers Association, Jacob Stevens, described the efforts, noting the bees' tendency to naturally stay within their clusters, which has aided the rescue.

Beekeepers plan to load the rescued bees onto new conditions after dark to aid their recovery. Stevens expressed optimism that a significant portion of the bees could be saved, with lost bees potentially drifting back into the secured colonies. However, he acknowledged that many bees did not survive the crash or could not be saved.

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Then, this afternoon on dark, we will load up the bees that we've been able to rescue and shift them onto some better conditions to make sure that we do what we can for their recovery.

The loss of hives is a significant blow to local suppliers, particularly given the ongoing threat posed by the Varroa destructor mite, which has already caused an estimated 90% collapse of south-east Queensland's wild honeybee colonies since 2025. Stevens emphasized the need for the industry to pull together, calling the situation "really challenging" for everyone on the eastern seaboard over the next few years.

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Our industry's kind of on its knees at the moment with the varroa mite so we … as an industry [have] got to pull together and get on with it.

Cleanup crews face their own difficulties. A spokesperson for Traffic Services Australia noted that removing the overturned truck with heavy machinery will be a "big day." The presence of the agitated bees has created a small exclusion zone, making close access to the truck hazardous for anyone not wearing specialized protective gear.

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It's going to be really challenging for everyone across the eastern seaboard with this varroa mite over the next few years, so we've really got to look after each other and just get on with what we need to get done to look after the bees.