Beekeepers work quickly to save thousands of bees from highway crash

Delays continue along the Warrego Highway between Mitchell and Mungallala. (Supplied: Traffic Services Australia/Wayne Bryant)

Beekeepers are working to save thousands of bees after a truck carrying their hives crashed on the Warrego Highway.

The truck has not been moved and an exclusion zone is in place around the angry swarms.

The surviving bees are expected to be relocated tonight to ensure their safety.

A crew of nine beekeepers from across southern Queensland is rushing to save thousands of bees after the truck carrying their hives crashed on the Warrego Highway.

The eastbound lane of the Warrego Highway between Mungallala and Mitchell remained closed this morning at Womalilla Creek, about 600km west of Brisbane.

The truck, which was carrying about 360 beehives when it rolled over about 3:30am on Wednesday, was yet to be moved.

Work continues to clear a truck crash on the Warrego Highway between Mitchell and Mungallala. (Supplied: Traffic Services Australia/Wayne Bryant)

Heavy-lifting equipment will be used at the scene today, as a small exclusion zone around the truck remains in place due to the bees hovering in angry swarms.

Vice-president of Queensland Beekeepers Association Jacob Stevens has been there helping to save as many bees as possible.

Mr Stevens, a commercial beekeeper based in Warwick, said beekeeping calming smoke was being used, but it remained a "confronting scene" for the nine beekeepers on deck to lend a hand.

"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," Mr Stevens said.

"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.

Mr Stevens said unfortunately there were many bees that either did not survive the crash or could not be saved.

The hives were headed to Eromanga, about 1,000km west of Brisbane, for honey production.

Mr Stevens said loss of hives would have an impact for local suppliers, especially as the Varroa destructor mite continued to cause damage to the industry.

It is estimated 90 per cent of south-east Queensland's wild honey-bee colonies have collapsed since the varroa mite was detected in Queensland beehives in 2025.

"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," Mr Stevens said.

"It's going to be really challenging for everyone across the eastern seaboard with this varroa mite over the