Swarming bees kept firefighters from the scene of a road crash near Gladstone involving an overturned truck laden with hives.
Carterton deputy fire chief Bryan Styles said volunteer firefighters were scrambled to the scene on Gladstone Rd about 8.30am on Thursday.
Mr Styles said a driver had lost control of his truck, which slid and overturned at the roadside, throwing its full load of hives to the ground.
"We didn't do a lot once we got there really - we couldn't get near it because of the bees," he said.
The driver had a small cut above his eye, which firefighters treated, and "we left the rest to police and four or five beekeepers".
