More than 20 million bees escaped on a motorway in Delaware (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

Up to 20 million swarming bees escaped when a tractor-trailer carrying them overturned on a US motorway.

A beekeeper assists at the scene (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

Motorists were warned to keep their windows closed and avoid stopping unnecessarily along Interstate 95 near Newark, Delaware.

A few bees fly over the remains from an accident in a dumpster (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

The motorway was closed for more than 12 hours on Tuesday, as bee handlers worked with firefighters to spray water to disperse the insects.

Bee hives and other remains from the accident (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

The accident prompted state police to activate for the first time a honeybee swarm removal plan that was established in 1995.


A beekeeper continues to collect bee hive containers scattered along I-95 (Picture: AP)

The plan, which was updated in March, involves a response network of beekeepers statewide.

A fire truck arrives at the scene (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

‘It worked really well,’ said state police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack. ‘There’s still some bees out there.’

A firefighter is hosed down (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

The driver of the truck, Adolfo Guerra, 55, of Miami, was cited for unsafe shifting of load or cargo.

Dominic Pizzo with Station 33 Delaware Air Guard uses foam to spray on the millions of bees (Picture: AP)

Guerra and his son were stung 50 to 100 times each and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Members of the Wilmington Fire Company (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

‘They were running down the street covered in bees,’ Lawrence Tan of New Castle County Paramedics told WPVI-TV.

A warning for motorists (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)

‘There’s no rounding them up,’ Sgt. Shavack added. ‘The water will disperse and calm the bee activity.’

A firefighter sprays water (Picture: AP / The Wilmington News-Journal)