Millions of Bees Used in Pollination Die in Airline Shipping

Millions of Bees Used in Pollination Die in Airline Shipping
A honeybee works atop gift zinnia in Accord, N.Y., on Sept. 1, 2015. Mike Groll/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

About 5 million honeybees bound for Alaska last weekend got waylaid when Delta Air Lines routed them through Atlanta, where most of the bees died after being left for hours in crates on the ground during hot weather.

The bees were the first of two shipments ordered by Alaska beekeeper Sarah McElrea from a distributor in California. The bees were to be used to pollinate apple orchards and nurseries in Alaska, where they are not native.