The crash happened on June 21, in Orange County, near the Louisiana border. Orange County Emergency Services District 4 said the truck overturned near FM 1130 and Colony Drive. Roads were closed as crews and beekeepers worked through the swarm.
Footage shows hive boxes and small nucleus colonies, known as nucs, lined up along a fence, as thick clusters of bees covered the containers and hang from nearby trees.
Millions of honey bees escape in rural Texas neighborhood, June 21, 2026. Video by Viory
Christie Ray, owner of Queen Bee Supply LLC, said the bees had shifted overnight after first gathering in a tree.
"They were all up in this tree yesterday. They actually broke the limb. That limb on the ground over there is they broke it. They were so heavy. So when we left last night, almost every one of these nucs were full of bees. We get here this morning and they're all up on the fence. So yeah. So now we have to basically catch them again," she said.
