Local beekeepers talk about impact of losing bee colonies
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IDAHO FALLS — A crash like the one on I-15 Thursday involving a semi-truck over turning and spilling thousands of bees, can cost a commercial bee company tens of thousands of dollars.
“The economic impact for the company that owned those bees would be huge. The bees themselves would cost me about $100 – $150,” said Wayne Jones, board member of the Bee Club.
That’s just for one hive, and Wayne Jones says this is also a health risk to the bees.
“A situation like that when there’s an accident their home is confused with all the other homes. As long as we are not really threatening their home they don’t really care,” Jones said.
Thousands of dying bees is a huge loss in more than one way. Bees pollinate the majority of crops and experts say consumers may feel the sting as the insects die.
“The commercial beekeepers make most of their money by sending their bees out to pollinate crops. The almond crop, apples, cherries, things like that, and they go from state-to-state and things like that, to pollinate the crops,” Jones said.
The driver of the semi-truck looked down to grab an item and instead ended up hitting a cement barrier under an over pass. The truck continued of the road and then over turned. The driver, Robert M. Langford, 32, of Ogden, UT, was transported to Portneuf Medical Center.
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