Thousands of bees were crushed by traffic on Thursday morning after they
swarmed to a honey spill in North Fort Myers, Florida.
The spill at the Del Prado Boulevard intersection also created a sticky
mess on the road and backed up traffic for about an hour.
Neslan Torralvo of Torralvo's Honey & Pollination Service said his
flatbed truck hit a bump as he drove east on Del Prado and a barrel in
the back of his truck spilled over 100 gallons of honey, about 2,400
pounds, as he turned.
He was hauling the honey to a processor in Haines City.
"My wife's gonna be sad, that was her money," he said, laughing. He said
the load was worth around $5,000, and he was left with about 20
gallons.
He goes to the processor near Lakeland about every two months.
Torralvo said cars driving through the intersection after the spill
created a bigger mess by spreading the honey.
North Fort Myers Fire Control District Battalion Chief Evan Totter said
the department used water pressure to help wash away the honey. The
department called a Florida Department of Transportation dump truck to
pour sand on the honey.
"Everyone fared pretty well," Totter said.
"Except the traffic ... and the bees."
The spill caused thousands of bees to flock to the intersection to get a
sweet taste. Torralvo, also a beekeeper, said the bees were drawn by
the smell.
According to this video it was a happy accident for the bees.
Emergency workers and police from Cape Coral, Lee County Sheriff's
Office, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Highway
Patrol swatted the swarming insects as they tried directing traffic and
cleaning up the honey.
With the bees landing on the honey residue, thousands were crushed by
traffic or sprayed away by firefighters.
Hours after the crash, police radio traffic reported businesses in the
area calling for beekeepers as the insects continued being drawn to the
remnants of the spill.
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