RECENT AFRICANIZED HONEY BEE STORIES REPORTED IN THE MEDIA
(Stories are non-edited. List is not comprehensive; news headlines are capitalized; introductions are italicized)

US stinging incidents resulting in serious injury to man or domestic animals are still widely reported in the press, as are also minor events in newly colonized areas. However, minor casualties do not always make local news in those communities where Africanized bees are well established. The Los Angeles Times (3/13/94) reported The Tucson Citizen " ... all but stopped reporting routine bee incidents" as early as 1994.

LONGVIEW COUPLE SURVIVES HONEY BEE ATTACK

LONGVIEW, TX - A Longview couple is recovering after being attacked by a swarm of honeybees.

Late Wednesday evening the man was mowing his lawn off Danciger Road when a swarm of around 200 bees overwhelmed him and his wife. The bees came from hives the homeowner kept on his property. A neighbor tried to help as fire crews arrived and sprayed the swarm down with foam.

Firefighters got their share of stings as well. "This scene was surreal in that we had a cloud of bees over the patient which is very scary because you have to get to this patient," said Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zachary."One firefighter sustained five stings while other sustained two or three stings."

The couple was hospitalized for multiple stings, but has been released. (Bob Hallmark, KLTV, 7/24/10.)

SWARM OF BEES ATTACK, KILL DOGS

EL PASO, TX -- A swarm of bees attacked residents and two dogs at three separate homes in east El Paso on Thursday night.

The two dogs died from the stings. And residents said the bees came out of nowhere.

The family of a 2-year-old poodle named Lucas said he was playful and lovable. He was one of the dogs that died when a swarm of bees reached its backyard and attacked. Jorge Hernandez said his wife found Lucas fighting the swarm. They said it looked like Lucas was wearing a coat made of bees.

"I was at work at the time and she called me. I said get some water. What she did is got a coat and jumped in, she got the hose and sprayed them," said Jorge.

The Hernandez's took Lucas to the emergency animal hospital but he didn't make it. They later found out their neighbor and another neighbor's dog were attacked as well.

"He goes,'When I arrived he was already not breathing.' There was bees around him. I told him that there was a swarm of bees.

Our neighbor next door, she got attacked, but she didn't get stung," said Hernandez.

What they don't understand is where the hive is.

"As you can see there's nothing here. We don't have any hives. There's the Sportsplex behind us maybe the shed or the trees, we don't know," said Hernandez.

The Hernandez's are not taking any chances. They talked to an expert about how they can protect themselves.

"My concern is the kids and the neighbors and us. We spend a lot of time in our backyard, if it happened to our dog," said Hernandez. (Monica Balderrama, KFOX News Reporter, 7/23/10.)

BEE SWARM KILLS ONE DOG, SECOND DOG DIES LATER

LEBANON, TN --- Petey, a Boston Terrier, stung repeatedly by bees last Sunday has died.

His pal Katie, a Labrador Retriever, died Sunday after being covered with bees and stung to death at their home in Lebanon.

Petey had been recuperating at a veterinary hospital when he succumbed Tuesday.

"We're just devastated by this," owner Susan Garner said this afternoon.

"Yesterday afternoon, there were still some bees left of the ground. A man from the State Department of Agriculture took some to send to Florida and some to Arizona to see what kind of bees they are."

"It doesn't matter what kind they are. They're 'killer' bees because they killed two dogs."

Susan Garner had just gone in her Lebanon house to get a drink of water Sunday, when she heard her dog Katie hollering. She came out to find the 125-pound Labrador retriever covered in bees. She tried to hose them off, but the dog died in minutes as they stung her.

Katie's small pal Petey, a Boston Terrier, wasn't completely blanketed by the honeybees, and though stung repeatedly, he survived. Petey later died on Tuesday at Cumberland Animal Hospital.

"It was like watching a horror movie, but it was for real" said Katie's shaken owner.
"She had thousands of stings all over her. Wonder if that had been a person? The public needs to be aware this could happen."

The incident has taken local beekeepers by surprise.

"I've never heard of anything like that at all, said Jim Garrison, president of the Tennessee Beekeepers Association and a third generation beekeeper.

These were not believed to be the aggressive Africanized bees that will attack people and animals, but Garrison said they would be checked out.

He's on a state task force to watch out for Africanized bees here. They're found in a few places in Southern Alabama and Southern Georgia where the climate doesn't grow as cold in winter.

None have been seen in Tennessee and aren't expected at this point, he said.

Honeybees, which are relied on to pollinate about a third of the food the nation depends on, generally don't like the smell of animals, he noted. And, the chocolate lab could have barked or snapped at the bees and set them off.

When the fatal encounter occurred, the bees had been swarming, which is a time they're usually particularly docile.

The honeybees, which came from an unknown location, had been clumping in a tree in the Garner's yard as they got ready to find a new hive.

Bees will leave their home in search of a new one about once a year, and they'll cluster elsewhere in a large, humming mass around the queen. Scouts go in search of a new site and when one is found within a few hours to a couple of days, the swarm moves on.

In this case, the bees had chosen a tree to gather and wait that was in Katie's territory.

"She was right there at ground zero," said Jim Murff, a member of the Wilson County Beekeepers Association, who went to the Garners's home.

"They were in the tree, hanging on a limb. There was a water bowl there with that dog. That's probably what the magnet was.

"It was just bad circumstances where two worlds bumped into each other. It's just sad." (Anne Paine, The Tennessean, 7/21/10.)

LIVING WITH AGGRESSIVE BEES

SAN DIEGO, CA --- Africanized bee attacks are on the increase in San Diego County, with several reports in the past few weeks.

In Lemon Grove, Jim Elliot was attacked by hundreds of bees while working in his yard. Due to quick action by his wife Toni, who covered herself with a sheet, ran to him and covered him, he survived the attack.

In Encinitas, Marco Lazaro was not so lucky. While operating a backhoe, Lazaro disturbed a hive and unleashed thousands of bees. He tried to escape the attack by running 600 feet to an outhouse, but he was stung hundreds of times and died of a heart attack.

In Morena, while searching for an auto theft suspect in a canyon, two San Diego police officers were attacked and stung 20 to 30 times each.

In Ramona, Ken Woodward, director of the Guy B. Woodward Museum at 645 Main St., encountered the aggressive bees. Woodward had noticed a hive inside the wall of the old bunkhouse at the museum, but in the past bees had not been a problem and seemed docile.

Woodward decided to plug the hole that the bees were using as an entrance and was stung several times.

"I didn't really think it was a serious problem, but after trying to plug the hole myself and getting zapped a few times, I figured it was best to have them removed by a professional," said Woodward.

He called Lee Pierce, owner of PestPatrol in Ramona.

"These were definitely Africanized bees," said Pierce. "Most of the European bees that we have around here are very docile, but the bees from this hive came after me immediately when I inspected the area."

According to the County of San Diego's website, Africanized and European bees are similar in many ways. They look alike, have the same venom, produce honey, and wax and pollinate flowers the same.

The main difference is their character. The Africanized bees are less predictable and more defensive. They will defend a greater area around their nest and will respond faster and in greater numbers to defend their queen.

When thinking that the bees were safe, Woodward may have been correct when he first noticed the hive. According to Pierce, 50 percent to 60 percent of the bee colonies in San Diego County have been overtaken by the Africanized bees.

"They will enter a European bee colony and breed with the queen," he said. "The offspring from that combination will take on the traits of the more aggressive African bee, and the entire colony will quickly become more aggressive. That's most likely what happened with the hive at the museum."

When encountering hives of bees, precaution should be used at all times. The African bees like to nest in many common places around people's yards, such as empty cans, buckets, old tires, lumber piles and cavities in fences and walls.

"If you see a few bees going into a hole in the wall, there are probably 30,000 bees inside that hole," said Pierce. "Trying to use a bug spray or patch the hole is a bad idea. The bug spray will only provoke the hive, and patching the hole will not work for long. You will also be setting yourself up for an attack. It's much safer to call a professional to remove the threat."

If you are attacked, the best defense is to run. While running, try to protect your face and eyes as much as possible. Look for the nearest shelter and get inside. Water and thick brush will not offer enough protection.

If you are nowhere near shelter, cover yourself as best as possible and keep moving away from the hive.

"The worst thing to do is to stand there and swat at them," said Pierce. "The rapid motion of your hands only provokes the bees more."

Once you've reached safety, there are several things you still need to do if you've been stung. Remove the stingers as soon as possible by using your fingernail, a knife blade or a credit card to scrape them off. Wash the sting area with soap and water and apply ice packs to relieve the pain and swelling.

If you have difficulty breathing or were stung numerous times, seek medical attention.

While bees have become more dangerous, they still produce a major food source in this area and are important for agriculture. Learning to live with bees and how to be safe is essential.

An informative seminar on beekeeping will be held at the Ramona Grange Hall at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 24. Becky Smith of "Becky's Bees" will be offering information on producing your own honey at home and will be discussing Africanized bees as well. (Eddie Brisendine, The Ramona Sentinel, 7/21/2010 )

EXPERTS WARN OF AFRICANIZED BEE DANGER

YUMA, AZ --- When Africanized bees go on the attack, hundreds - even thousands - quickly join forces in an attempt to drive away the intruder.

The venom per sting is about the same as that of the common honeybee, but during a mass attack, the large number of stings can kill humans, livestock and pets.

According to Bee Rescue Swarm Removal (http://beeremovalyuma.com), "the normal kill ratio for a human being is 10 stings per pound; so about 1,800 stings would typically kill someone weighing 180 pounds. A typical bee hive has on average 10,000 to 40,000 bees."

"So many stings can overwhelm the body," explained Rusty Leonard of Rural/Metro Fire Department and Ambulance.

An attack is especially dangerous if a person has an allergic reaction, he noted.

While the fire department does not normally deal with bees, it does respond to emergency situations.

"If someone is being attacked, we spray the bees with soapy water. When their wings are wet, they can't fly," Leonard said.

Such was the case during a recent attack in Yuma that left two dogs dead.

A swarm of Africanized bees attacked and killed two dogs in the morning of June 25 in the 5300 block of West 7th Street.

A woman suffered an allergic reaction from being stung and was treated and released at Yuma Regional Medical Center.

The Humane Society of Yuma, which also doesn't normally become involved in bee attacks, responded because the incident involved two 70-pound boxers.

"When we got there, one dog was already dead," Annette Lagunas, the society's director of operations, told the Yuma Sun.

The other dog had to be euthanized due to the number of stings.

"They were covered in hundreds and hundreds of bees. The second dog was euthanized because it had such a bad reaction," Lagunas said.

The homeowners reported that the bees had been in their yard for some time but were not provoked as far as they knew.

According to the Southwestern Association of Naturalists, Africanized bees spread through the Americas after an accidental release in Brazil in 1957. They first arrived in the United States through Texas in 1990 and have spread to California, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona.

Africanized bees have earned a reputation as being "killer bees" because of their aggressive behavior. They are more likely to attack en masse when they perceive a threat to their colony than their Western and European counterparts.

They have also been known to pursue an enemy a quarter-mile or longer.

Colonies have been found just about anywhere, including walls, roofs, attics, eaves, fences, sheds and chimneys. However, swarms are usually colonies moving to a new home and are not as aggressive as they have no home to protect.

Typically the swarm will rest on a bush or a tree for a few days as they search for a suitable home. Bees will move along in four days or less, according to Bee Rescue Swarm Removal.

Because a swarm can form in a matter of hours, panicked residents might be tempted to call the fire department.

But Leonard stressed that Rural/Metro only responds to emergency situations and not for removal of hives or swarms. "We're just not equipped to deal with bees."

When no one is being attacked, the fire department recommends that they call a pest control or bee removal company listed in the phone book.

In the past, people could contact a hot line set up by the Arizona Department of Agriculture. But the department no longer handles bee-related issues and also encourages individuals to call pest control companies or bee removal companies.

Experts recommend that individuals use caution when they find a hive. They advise staying away from it, not making any loud noises and calling a professional bee remover or exterminator. They should not try to take care of it themselves.

"If you get attacked by bees, the best advice for protection is to cover your body as best as you can - especially your head and face," said Mark Williamson of Yuma's Desert Web Exterminator.

However, Bee Rescue Swarm Removal, which works in Yuma and other parts of Arizona, stresses that both Africanized and European bees will usually only attack when they feel threatened.

They can also respond "with great anger" to noise or even a simple vibration, like walking across a wood deck, according to Yuma's Desert Web Exterminator

Bee Rescue Swarm Removal's goal is to ensure the bees are removed quickly and safely. "Why resort to having them extinguished when you can have it done in the most humane way possible?"

Once removed, the bees are placed in a hive and "allowed to do their job." After all, they are responsible for most of the world's food supply.

As Desert Web Exterminating puts it, "best thing about bees is that they're responsible for most of the pollination that happens in the world. That's pretty important, considering the fact that about a third of the human food supply depends on pollination of plants." (Mara Knaub - The Yuma Sun, 7/18/10.)

What you should do if you spot a beehive or a swarm of bees

• If anyone is being stung by a swarm of bees, call 911.
• Use care when entering sheds and outbuildings. Listen for a buzzing sound that could signal a hive or swarm of bees (a ball of bees in a bush, tree, side of house, water-meter box, etc.).
• Examine work areas before using power equipment such as lawn mowers or weed cutters.
• Examine areas before tying up or penning pets or livestock.
• Don't disturb a hive or swarm. If no one is being stung, go to the yellow pages, look under Beekeepers or Bee Removal Services and call one of the parties listed that advertises swarm pickup or removal. Swarming bees or beehives should only be handled by a professional pest exterminator or beekeeper.
• If there are only a few bees foraging on flowers, you should not be concerned. Foraging bees are not defensive and generally do not sting unless provoked (squished, swatted at, etc.).

Source: Arizona Department of Agriculture

LIVING WITH AFRICANIZED BEES IN SAN DIEGO

SAN DIEGO, CA - It's been about eight years since Africanized honeybees came to California. Today, beekeepers say they have taken over San Diego's wild bee populations. But beekeepers hope that breeding efforts can create a bee that has the hardy Africanized traits but isn't quite as mean.

A beehive belonging to beekeeper Eric Robinson has been re-queened. That means he put a tame Europeanized queen bee into a colony of wild Africanized bees, who then accepted the queen as their leader. The result was a genetic cleansing of the hive as the old aggressive bees died off and the new queen's more passive offspring replaced them. Robinson said this kind of taming of wild bees has been going on for about as long as people have been breeding dogs.

"There was originally a wild dog that was the wolf," he said. "The wolf is the same species as dog and they can interbreed. But over generations people selected dogs that were more docile, more friendly. And the same thing has been done with bees."

But the problem with those bees that we've made as gentle as poodles is they don't survive well in the wild. This is especially true in San Diego County where they're in competition with a true wolf -- the African honey bee. Although Africanized bees only arrived in California about eight years ago, they have done very well.

Pete Holtzen has a company called Honeybee Rescue. He relocates wild bee colonies that have become unsafe for humans. Holtzen estimates more than 95 percent of the wild bees in San Diego County are Africanized. He said as summer wears on, and flower nectar becomes scarce, those bees will pose a danger to people.

"When it starts to get hot and the bees have no food source, they are going to get angry and aggressive," said Holtzen. "And I think the chance of someone getting hurt is really, really high."

Cases of people being stung to death are rare, but they happen. A month ago an Encinitas man was killed by a swarm of bees as he was clearing brush with a backhoe.

James Nieh is a professor of biology at UCSD who studies bee behavior. He said when a bee stings you it releases an alarm pheromone that other bees can smell, causing them to react aggressively.

"So when a normal honeybee stings you, maybe a couple of other honeybees will come by, investigate and try to sting you. In an Africanized honeybee you could have hundreds of bees trying to sting you," said Nieh.

Frightening for us, but for the bees it's a very effective way of discouraging bears, humans and other predators that may steal their honey and destroy their hives. Nieh said natural selection favors the Africanized bees in other ways.

"Their main advantage seems to be that they are more resistant to this mite, varroa destructor, which causes huge bee losses and is definitely implicated in colony collapse disorder," he said.

Despite the dominance of Africanized bees, the future of San Diego's bee population is subject to debate. Beekeepers will continue to favor the genetics of Europeanized bees, given their gentle nature. Beekeeper Eric Robinson said he expects years of crossbreeding could produce a local bee that brings the best of both worlds.

"So maybe we can produce a hybrid which has the resistance of Africanized bees plus the docility of European bees and we'll end up with a nice cross," he said.

But Pete Holtzen, of Honeybee Rescue, said the aggressive traits of Africanized bees will not go away.

"The bees fly faster. The eggs hatch out a day faster. They're just harder workers. They reproduce with a vengeance," he said.

For the time being, Africanized bees clearly dominate San Diego's feral bee population. And speaking of that, if you are ever attacked by a bunch of bees, run. James Neih says bees do not fly very fast, and the faster you can make a bee line out of there, the less stung you're going to be. (Tom Fudge, KPBS, 7/13/10.)

COUPLE HOSPITALIZED AFTER LEMON GROVE BEE ATTACK
Authorities Discover 2 Bee Hives In Neighborhood

SAN DIEGO, CA -- A husband and wife were hospitalized Tuesday afternoon after being stung by bees at their Lemon Grove home.

The incident happened shortly after 2 p.m. in the 7400 block of Mount Vernon Street.

The man, in his 70s, owned a beehive that he maintained for several years, firefighters told 10News.

Authorities said the bees in the home's back yard became agitated and attacked the man. His wife was stung when she went outside to see him.

The man was at least 50 times, and his wife was stung at least 20 times, according to authorities.

A short time later, authorities discovered a second bee hive down the street. That home has been roped off.

Firefighters told all residents in the neighborhood to stay indoors while they worked to clear the scene.

Thomas Elli, who was stung while trying to pick up his elderly mother, told 10News, "They told me there were bees down here.

All of a sudden, one came out and chased me out and stung me on the neck."

10News learned a beekeeper will remove the remaining bees from the neighborhood later Tuesday evening.

Authorities said the streets will remain closed as a large number of bees are still swarming the area. (KGTV-TV 10 News, 7/13/10.)

ANGRY BEE SWARM STINGS MAN MORE THAN 700 TIMES

BASTROP COUNTY, TX --- A man in Bastrop County remains in intensive care Tuesday after being stung repeatedly by an angry swarm of bees.

Casey Allen, a construction worker, was on the job with a crew near Highway 290, clearing away some brush, when he accidentally disturbed a beehive. He then got stung more than 700 times.

Allen was transported from the job site by helicopter to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin Monday, according to an official at the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office.

A hospital representative confirms that Allen is in good condition and was still in the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

Two other workers were also stung. (KENS-TV News 5 Staff, 7/13/10.)

TEXAS REVEREND CHARLES HARRISON KILLED BY BEES WHILE MOWING LAWN

PRAIRIE VIEW, TX --- A Texas reverend was killed by a swarm of bees as he mowed his lawn Monday, police said.

The Reverend Charles Harrison, of Prairie View, Waller County, was repeatedly stung after he began cutting the lawn close to a storage shed.

His wife Ester and police officers who responded to a 911 call were also attacked by the bees, according to a report from the Prairie View Police Department.

Ester said she attempted to help her husband by taking him from the backyard to a carport located on the side of their house, but the bees continued to attack.

She called 911 at 9.41am Monday.

Police officers and emergency medical staff were attacked when they arrived but were able to treat Rev Harrison after moving him indoors.

He was later taken by ambulance to the North Cypress Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. (NewsCore, 7/13/10.)

BEES ATTACK CENTRAL TEXAS MAN WHO WAS MOWING HIS LAWN
A swarm of bees attacked a Waco man Monday while he mowed his lawn.

WACO, TX - Waco firefighters and paramedics were at the scene of a bee attack Monday evening on Hatton Street near the intersection with Renick Avenue.

Joe Inubiaraiye said he was mowing the yard when all of the bees came out of nowhere.

He says he immediately got off his riding mower and ran, tearing off his shirt in an attempt to get the bees off of him.

Inubiaraiye says a woman who was driving saw that he was in trouble, stopped and called 911.

He estimated he was stung about 50 times.

A beekeeper was called to tend to the bees Monday evening.

Paramedics treated Inubiaraiye at the scene. (Eli Ross, KWTX-TV 7/12/10.)

BEE ATTACK IN ALICE SENDS THREE TO HOSPITAL

ALICE, TX --- A bee attack in Alice sent three people to the hospital with one of them in serious condition. That person was said to be having problems breathing.

The bee attack occurred in the downtown area behind the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Department. The victims were traumatized over what happened around 2:30 pm.

"They ran all the way after them", said Juan Munguia, a victim of the bee attack.

"They were all the way into that street and they were still trying to get the bees off of them."

The bees attacked the men trying to clean up this property on 4th street.

The man most seriously hurt was on this tractor mowing the high grass when the Africanized Bees got upset. On the ground, you could see his hat, shirt and pants he was wearing, which had been torn off during the attack.

"The tractor made a noise on it and they just came out," said Munguia. "The guy started jumping. He jumped out and said turn off the tractor. I tried to turn it off. I could barely see him with all those bees around him."

"It hurts and a lot of pain," said Luis Sendejo, a bee attack victim. "I don't how to explain it, but it hurts."

Three men were taken to the Alice hospital after the bee attack and one was in serious condition. Meanwhile, the other four men were worried whenever a bee was in the area. The bees were still aggressive a half-hour after the attack.

Alice city officials said this was a bad case inside the town limits. They warn the public to be careful, especially when mowing your lawn around Alice. (Manuel De La Rosa, KIII-Tv 3 Area News, 7/12/10.)

BEE SWARM SENDS MAN TO HOSPITAL
Construction worker stung several hundred times

BASTROP COUNTY, TX --- A construction worker was stung "several hundred times" after being swarmed by bees during a project in eastern Bastrop County on Monday, authorities said.

According to the Bastrop County Sheriff's Department, two private construction workers were bulldozing trees on Old Potato Road when they disturbed a beehive.

One man was stung a few times, but the other -- identified as Casey Allan -- was stung several hundred times and he is allergic to bees, authorities said. Allan was Starflighted to University Medical Center Brackenridge.

Allan remains in the emergency department at Brackenridge and is listed in fair condition, officials say.

The Bastrop Sheriff's Office, the Bastrop volunteer Fire Department, Guardian EMS and Starflight responded to the scene.

Allen was starflighted to Brackenridge Hospital. They are not aware of his condition on Monday afternoon. (Amy Peirce, KXAN-TV News 36, 7/12/10.)

BEES THAT KILLED MENIFEE HORSES BECOMING COMMON, DANGEROUS SIGHT

MENIFEE, CA --- Cherie Linnemeyer and daughter Sierra still get chills recalling the image of thousands of bees blanketing two horses from ear-tip to hoof on a Menifee ranch.

One horse, overwhelmed by bee venom, died within 20 minutes of the attack. The other horse lasted until 4 a.m., throwing himself down and thrashing every time a veterinarian's painkillers started to wear off.

"Their skin literally looked like cottage cheese," said Cherie Linnemeyer, 50, recalling the early evening ordeal on June 21. "It was just welts upon welts."
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The horses were victims of the notoriously aggressive Africanized strain of honey bees, an increasingly common sight throughout Southern California.

Since Africanized honeybees arrived in California in 1994, they have been breeding with their much tamer European honeybee cousins that once dominated the state. They have created hybrid bees prone to attack and kill.

Experts say the bees tend to be easily agitated, sting en masse and pursue anyone who comes within 50 feet of their hive.

This year, vector control agencies in Riverside and San Bernardino counties are seeing a slight uptick in bee complaints from past years. Typical calls are for a beehive in an inconvenient spot or a swarm. When bees overpopulate a hive, a swarm will break off, complete with its own queen bee, in search of a new nest.

Authorities on the subject say bees, which are typically active in the spring and fall, are still abuzz probably because of the lingering balmy weather coupled with a wet winter that fostered lots of flowers. The insects continue feeding and flying as long as temperatures range from 65 to 90 degrees, said Kirk Visscher, an entomology professor who researches bees at UC Riverside.

But vector control experts do not know whether the rise in run-ins between bees and humans stem from a growing bee population or because bees are becoming more aggressive.

Africanized bees are faring much better against the diseases that are decimating their domesticated European counterparts. Visscher believes that's because as beekeepers try to save and coax along sick European bee populations, in the wild only the disease-resistant bees survive to breed.

For four years now, European honeybees across the nation and in Canada -- insects that farmers rely on to pollinate their crops -- have been disappearing.

INVASION OF SORTS

Beekeepers are also struggling to keep their hives free of the surly Africanized strain, Visscher said.

In other countries, where the Africanized bees are all that's left, beekeepers have had no choice but to adapt.

"The beekeeping industry in Brazil was in shambles for a while as beekeepers adapted to managing Africanized bees," Visscher said. Brazil was where flocks of Africanized bees, originally from Africa, were accidentally released in the 1950s. "Now the newest generation of beekeepers (in Brazil) doesn't know anything different."

Managing Africanized bees is no simple feat. The insects feel threatened by anyone walking within 50 feet of their hive. Once agitated they can pursue a perceived intruder en masse for up to a quarter mile. Defending swarms have killed cattle, horses, dogs and people in California since their arrival 16 years ago, Visscher said.

A lethal dose of bee sting poison depends on body weight and would be about nine stings per pound on average, Visscher said. About 200 stings could kill a 22-pound child, and 1,350 stings could lethally poison a 150-pound adult.

Most of the handful of people who have died from bee stings in California have been elderly or allergic to bees, Visscher said. While experts warn people to generally listen for buzzing -- a clear signal of a nearby hive -- they also advise caution around known bee magnets.

Certain trees such as pepper and olive trees tend to attract hives because their hollow trunk structure provides the perfect bee shelter.

Workers from the Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District routinely monitor the decades-old pepper and olive trees in downtown Corona and Norco. All it takes is one broken branch to create an ideal bee cove, district spokesman Jared Dever said.

The beehive that attacked the Menifee horses in southwest Riverside County was burrowed in an old pepper tree trunk. The horses' Temecula owner had asked to move the horses to an empty pen under the tree for shade, said Cindy Gore, who gives riding lessons at the ranch.

In hindsight, Cherie and Sierra Linnemeyer, who live on the ranch, said they and others should have been watching for hives given the high number of bees buzzing around the 24-acre property.

Cherie still cannot believe that the exterminator found a hive with at least 50,000 bees in the tree, enough to cover her living room wall, floor to ceiling, she said.

"If it can happen here it can happen anywhere," she said. "We had no warning or any kind of clue they could kill up until now." (Julissa McKinnon, The Press-Enterprise, 7/11/10.)

SWARMING BEES KILL ALBUQUERQUE WOMAN'S DOG
City Officials Examine Regulations On Bee Keeping

ALBUQUERQUE, NM --- A swarm of bees attacked and killed an Albuquerque woman's dog last week. That prompted city officials to examine city regulations on being keeping.

Action 7 News learned the bees belong to the woman's neighbor.

Although there are no city regulations against keeping bees in residents' yards, a city councilor spoke about whether that might change.

City environmental health manager Mark Dimenna said there's nothing on the books to regulate urban bee keeping.

"There's nothing that specifically makes urban bee colonies illegal in city limits," Dimenna said.

Action 7 News asked the city if it sees a potential hazard and if so, if it will regulate bee colonies.

"I think it would be harsh judgment to say there needs to be regulation. People have been living with bees in their close proximity as an agriculture-use type of animal as long as there has been agriculture," Dimenna said.

Councilor Debbie O'Malley recently gave a bee pollinator weak proclamation. She said there's no urgent push to regulate.

"We may have to (regulate), but at this point people who keep bees are very concerned about their (bees) health and welfare, and want to make sure they're not disturbed," O'Malley said.

Officials said while there may not be any regulation for urban bee keeping, there is regulation for commercial bee keeping.

But that's less rules and regulations for those tending to the bees in their own backyards.

Urban bee keepers said they make sure the bee hives are in places where neighbors and pedestrians won't be bothered. (KOAT TV 7 News, 7/7/10.)

FIREFIGHTER HOSPITALIZED FOLLOWING BEE ATTACK

HARLINGEN, TX --- A Harlingen firefighter and another man are in the hospital after getting stung by bees.

It happened on the 200 block of west Flynn Street earlier today.

Fire Captain John Renneker tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS a man was mowing grass at a vacant house when the bees started swarming and attacked the man. The bees appeared to be in wall of house.

When firefighters got to the scene the man was next door spraying himself with a garden hose, trying to get the bees off.

We're told a Harlingen firefighter who responded to the call also got stung. He was stung once in the head and had a severe reaction.(7/6/10.)

Paramedics took both victims to the hospital. (Jordan Williams, KRGV News Channel 5, 7/6/10.)

DESPITE LOW NUMBER OF BEE ATTACKS, IT'S SWARM WEATHER

FORT HUACHUCA, AZ --- While there have been some recent bee attacks in the area, experts say the activity of the stinging insects is relatively low this season.

Still, they urge caution.

Three people were injured on Fort Huachuca this week in the post's first bee swarm attack of the year. It occurred Monday at the Prosser Village training area, said Tanja Linton, fort media relations officer.

The source, a nearby hive, was sprayed down with foam by fire crews.

The three victims were taken to Sierra Vista Regional Health Center for treatment.

"They're doing fine," Linton said Tuesday.

While bee encounters typically pick up as temperatures get warmer, area fire departments and bee removal experts are reporting few incidents so far this year.

"In Sierra Vista, we've had approximately five calls this month, and that's not much," said Gregg Gransie, assistant manager for Arizona Pest Control.

Bisbee-based Reed Booth, known as the Killer Bee Guy, has received even fewer calls.

"I haven't seen the activity" that is typical for this time of year, he said.

Fort officials did not say what kind of bees were responsible for Monday's incident, but Booth said there is only one possibility: "All of the wild honeybee hives in the state of Arizona are considered Africanized at this point."

While residents will often call area fire departments seeking guidance when it comes to bee activity, the number of reports of bee attacks has been light.

"It's been pretty quiet," said Paul Cimino, Sierra Vista fire marshal.

Other than a report of a swarm near the post office about a month ago, most bee-related calls have been from people seeking information, Cimino said.

"They're concerned. They don't know what to do about removing a hive," he said.

Unless the bees pose an immediate threat, local fire departments recommend residents contact a pest control or bee removal service.

"We're not in the habit of killing bees for the sake of killing bees," said Pete Bidon, Whetstone fire chief.

"People call us all the time when they have bees swarming near their house," he said. The majority of these calls resolve themselves as the swarm eventually moves on.

Over the last three months, calls on bee activity in Sierra Vista's parks and other public areas have been sparse.

"I think we've had maybe three calls," said Steve Szymeczek, park services superintendent. "I don't think we've had any for at least a good month or so, which is unusual.

"I've been doing this for 20 years. Last year and this year have been particularly slow when it comes to bee removal."

Over the two decades he has been professionally removing hives in and around Cochise County, Booth said bees have been becoming more aggressive to perceived threats.

"We've found that some hives will be nice one day, and the next day will attack apparently unprovoked," he said.

A swarm appearing in a new area may simply be moving through.

Swarms that do not move on may indicate a nearby hive.

"A hive is always more dangerous than a swarm, because a hive has something to protect," Booth said.

Signs of a possible hive in and around a residence include bees seen going in and out of stucco cracks or from underneath patio awnings, Gransie said.

If you suspect a hive is nearby, move kids and animals inside and contact a professional. (Derek Jordan, The Sierra Vista Herald/Review, 6/30/10.)

LEARN MORE
A free public meeting on bees will be hosted by the Cochise County Master Gardeners Association. The meeting will feature Mark J. Carroll, research entomologist with the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson. Carroll will speak about honeybee research to create healthier colonies in an Africanized bee environment, as well as answer questions about so-called killer bees. The meeting is set for 5 p.m. Thursday in the public meeting room at the University of Arizona South. For directions, call 458-8278, Ext. 2141.

TIPS WHEN OUTDOORS

• Stay away from bee colonies. Do not shoot, throw rocks at or otherwise disturb the bees.
• When hiking in the wilderness, wear light-colored clothing, including socks. Avoid wearing leather.
• Avoid wearing scents when hiking or working outside. Africanized bees are sensitive to odors.
  Use great caution with machinery that makes sound vibrations or loud noises. These can alarm bees.
• If hiking, keep dogs on a leash to avoid letting them run through brush and disturb bees. (Derek Jordan. The Sierra Vista Herald/Review, 6/30/10.)

AFRICANIZED HONEYBEES ATTACK, KILL DOGS

YUMA, AZ --- (Yuma family attacked by bees)…The attack by Africanized Honey Bees was reported Friday.

The family said, as far as they know, the bees were not provoked. They said they knew the bees, also known as killer bees, had been in their yard for some time.

One woman suffered an allergic reaction. She was taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center, where she was treated and released.

The families' dogs did not fair so well. The insects focused their attack on the two boxers, killing both animals.

Yuma Pest Control was able to eradicate the bees from the property.(George Gale, KXO Radio News, KXO FM107.5, 6/28/10.)

7 PEOPLE STUNG BY BEES AT CASA GRANDE APARTMENT COMPLEX

CASA GRANDE, AZ - Authorities say seven people were stung by bees that swarmed an apartment complex in Casa Grande.

Three of the victims were taken to Casa Grande Regional Medical Center for treatment after Monday morning's bee attack at the Aspen Court Apartments.

Their conditions were not immediately available Tuesday.

Aspen Court manager Stacy Gambs says the complex's pool and common areas were not busy at the time at the attack, but some people were outside when bees suddenly began swarming.

Casa Grande firefighters responded to the scene and at least one of the persons stung was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment. (Associated Press, 6/22/2010.)

7 STUNG IN BEE ATTACK AT CG APARTMENT COMPLEX

CASA GRANDE, AZ --- At least seven people were stung in a Monday morning bee attack at Aspen Court Apartments on North Kadota Avenue in Casa Grande.

Aspen Court manager Stacy Gambs said that while the complex's pool and common areas were not busy at the time, some people were outside when bees suddenly began swarming.

"Residents were scared," she said. "There were a lot of bees." (Melissa St. Aude, Staff Writer, Casa Grande Dispatch, 6/22/10.)

WOMAN STUNG 50 TIMES BY BEES ON GILBERT GOLF COURSE

GILBERT, AZ --- Two women were attacked by a swarm of bees while playing golf Monday morning.

The women were at the 17th hole during their game at Western Skies Golf Club in Gilbert, and the bees attacked them as they were walking on the fairway, Gilbert Fire Department spokesman Capt. Mike Connor said.

One woman, age 65, was stung over 50 times on her face, arms, and legs. The other woman, whose age was unavailable, was stung 20 times.

The women ran toward the club restaurant, reportedly abandoning their cart and golf clubs to escape the swarm. When they reached the clubhouse, fire crews treated the women for the stings. The women told firefighters they had no difficulty breathing and were only sore. According to Connor, they refused transport and drove to a hospital.

Another fire crew was called to evaluate the bees, but the swarm had calmed down and dissipated by the time they arrived.

The crew retrieved the women's belongings and the club handled the removal of the bee hive, Connor said.

According to Carl Olson, the associate curator of Entomology for the University of Arizona's Arizona Cooperative Extension, bees are capable of attacking at any time and will usually swarm as a defensive measure in order to protect their offspring.

"All of the honey bees in the hive are female and they're sort of acting as mothers would," Olson said.

The bees will sting if the person entering their territory does not leave, leaving a mark to attract more bees to sting, Olson said. Olson advises people to run into a closed-off area, as the women did.

"You cover your face as best you can and run and run until you cross the boundary line," Olson said. "As soon as you cross the line that marks their territory, they stop." (Stephanie Russo, The Arizona Republic, 6/21/10.)

DEATH CAUSE DETERMINED FOR ENCINITAS BEE ATTACK VICTIM

ENCINITAS, CA --- The man who died Wednesday of multiple bee stings died of anaphylaxis, an alergic reaction to the stings, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner.

Marco Lazaro, 54, of Encinitas was operating a backhoe Wednesday near the intersection of Manchester Avenue and Pacific Ranch Drive when the insects began attacking him about 11 a.m., Deputy Fire Chief Scott Henry said.

Lazaro had been clearing brush in a field near San Elijo Lagoon when he was stung by hundreds of bees.

He ran off and tried to take shelter in a nearby outhouse, according to Henry. The man's nephew, who had been working with him, made a 911 call, and emergency crews found the victim inside the portable lavatory, in "full cardiac arrest," Henry said.

Medics took Lazaro to Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, where he was pronounced dead.

Marco, who was diabetic, was stung as many as 500 times. When rescue crews arrived, hundreds of bees were still inside his clothing.

The Guatemalan immigrant lived at the site of the attack for more than 30 years.

"I can't even believe it," neighbor Dan Moriarty told San Diego 6. "It's not anything you can prepare for getting killed by bees on your own place. How can you possibly prepare yourself for that?"

Experts who examined the hive believe it had been in the field for many years and contained 60,000 to 80,000 bees.

"I'm pretty certain they are Africanized bees," said Bill Tanksley of Pinpoint Pest Control. "There's no way of telling by looking at the bees themselves, you can pretty much tell by their actions."

Experts say this attack is an important reminder for people working near thick brush.

"Be aware of your surroundings and have an escape route," suggested San Diego County entomologist David Kellum. (Elex Michaelson, XETV-TV 6 News, 6/20/10.)

COPS ATTACKED BY BEE SWARM WHILE CHASING SUSPECT

SAN DIEGO, CA ---- Two San Diego police officers were chased and stung repeatedly by bees Saturday as they searched a canyon for an auto theft suspect, who was arrested a short time later, police said.

The officers were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

The suspect has been identified a 19-year-old Trenton Josephson.

The incident began with a Lojack security device, installed in a 2003 Ford Expedition, alerting police to a vehicle theft near Gaines Street in the Morena District at 8:42 a.m., officer Mack Blazok said.

An officer in the area saw the Expedition three minutes later and tried to pull over the driver. The driver led the officer on a brief pursuit, then stopped and ran, Blazok said.

Police formed a perimeter around the neighborhood and a canyon, from Gaines Street to Riley and Lauretta streets near Goshen Street. A police helicopter roamed overhead and used a public address system to broadcast the thief's description to residents below. The area is south of the University of San Diego.

At least two officers with dogs searched a canyon, and, about 9:20 a.m., radioed that they were being stung by bees. One officer said he was stung 20 to 30 times, the other officer said he was being chased by the bees and stung, Blazok said.

Other officers announced about 9:30 a.m. that they had taken Josephson into custody in the 6000 block of Cirrus Street where they found Josephson hiding under a car.

They say he had dropped a backpack with weapons and syringes in it. They arrested Josephson for auto theft, having dangerous weapons, drug paraphernalia and possession of stolen property.

One of the officers stung by bees was hospitalized overnight. The other was treated and released. (San Diego 6 News Team, XETV-TV 6 News, 6/20/10.)

2 SAN DIEGO OFFICERS ARE ATTACKED BY A SWARM OF BEES

SAN DIEGO, CA --- Two San Diego police officers were attacked by a swarm of bees Saturday as they searched a mid-city canyon for a suspected car thief, police said.

Both officers suffered multiple stings and were taken to a hospital. One was treated and released, the other is remaining overnight for observation.

Trenton Josephson, 19, was arrested on suspicion of stealing a Ford Expedition and possession of weapons and drug paraphernalia. After police followed the vehicle, Josephson allegedly ran into the canyon to avoid being arrested.

The incident occurred 35 miles from the site of a fatal bee attack Wednesday in suburban Encinitas. (Tony Perry, The Los Angeles Times, 6/19/10.)

LANDSCAPER DIES AFTER BEE ATTACK IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
The 55-year-old man was operating a backhoe in Encinitas when the equipment apparently disturbed a colony of the insects. He was stung hundreds of times.

SAN ELIO LAGOON, CA --- A 55-year-old man died Wednesday after suffering hundreds of bee stings while working outdoors in the northern San Diego County city of Encinitas, the Sheriff's Department said.

The man, described as a landscaper, was operating a backhoe in a brushy area near the San Elijo Lagoon when the equipment apparently disturbed a colony of bees.

As he was being stung repeatedly, the man - whose name was not released - fled to an outhouse about 200 yards away. He was found there moments later by authorities responding to an emergency call. He was pronounced dead at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas.

A 20-year-old nephew working with him was also stung but did not require hospitalization. (Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times, 6/17/10.)

MAN DIES AFTER BEING STUNG OVER 500 TIMES BY BEES

ENCINITAS, CA - Authorities say a 55-year-old man has died after he was stung more than 500 times by bees as he cleared brush from a property in Encinitas in San Diego County.

Encinitas Deputy Fire Chief Scott Henry says the man was operating a backhoe when he was attacked by the bees at about 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Henry says the man ran about 200 yards to an outhouse in an attempt to escape Henry says firefighters found him inside in full cardiac arrest.

Firefighters began CPR and took him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The man's name has not been released. (The Associated Press, 6/16/10.)

BEE ATTACK CLAIMS LIFE OF 55-YEAR-OLD MAN IN ENCINITAS

ENCINITAS, CA --- A 55-year-old man died Wednesday after reportedly being stung more than 500 times by swarming bees as he used a backhoe to remove brush from property in a rural area of eastern Encinitas.

The man, whose name was not released as of Wednesday evening, was allergic to bee stings, according to David Kellum, county entomologist. He was declared dead at a hospital.

The victim was working with his 20-year-old nephew on property off Manchester Avenue near Pacific Ranch Road when he was attacked by the bees late in the morning. The backhoe reportedly hit a nest of honeybees that were in the brush on the ground.

The man reportedly ran some 200 yards to an outhouse and went inside to seek shelter from the attack. That's where firefighters discovered him, in full cardiac arrest.

Firefighters started CPR and transported the victim to the hospital.

A pest-removal company was brought in to remove the bees, as authorities could not immediately identify what kind of bees they were.

According to Kellum, people should always be aware of their surroundings prior to mowing or using a tool such as a weed wacker to make sure there are no bees or bee nests in the vicinity. (Dave Thomas, San Diego News Examiner, 6/16/10.)

LANDSCAPER IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY DIES AFTER BEE ATTACK

ENCINITAS, CA --- A 55-year-old man died Wednesday after suffering hundreds of bee stings while working outdoors in the northern San Diego County city of Encinitas, the Sheriff's Department said.

The man, described as a landscaper, was operating a backhoe in a brushy area near the San Elijo Lagoon when the equipment apparently disturbed a colony of bees.

As he was being stung repeatedly, the man fled to an outhouse about 200 yards away, where he was found moments later by authorities responding to an emergency call. He was pronounced dead at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas.

A 20-year-old nephew working with him was also stung but did not require hospitalization.

It is not known what kind of bees were involved in the attack. But San Diego County is considered to have colonies of Africanized honey bees throughout the region, although attacks are rare.

Each spring, when the number of bees multiplies, county agricultural officials warn the public and provide suggestions on how to avoid being attacked. Among them: Avoid wearing cologne or after-shave, wear white socks (bees are attracted by dark socks) and don't flail or swat at the bees.

Nationwide about 40 people a year die from bee stings. (Los Angeles Times, 6/16/10.)

BEE SWARM EXTERMINATED, BUT NEIGHBORS WORRY THEY'LL COME BACK

LAS VEGAS, NV --- Two people are recovering from a viscous bee attack that happened over the weekend, but neighbors are far from over the trauma and worry the bees aren't completely gone.

When a tree fell Saturday a swarm of Africanized bees went on the attack.

A mother and teenage daughter were both chased inside their house and stung several times. Their dogs took several stings as well.

Firefighters used a soap and water substance to calm the bees and then an exterminator was called.

But a next door neighbor, who was also chased by the bees, worries they could come back.

"They assure us its going to help, its going to take care of it, but I don't know you're skeptical until you see something," Tammy Gamett says.

The Las Vegas Fire Department says these were Africanized honey bees or commonly known as killer bees.

Their spokesperson told us in his fifteen years of service here, he's never seen a hive this big in one place. (KTNV-TV News 13, 6/15/10.)

FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE TWO PEOPLE & THREE DOGS FROM BEE ATTACK

LAS VEGAS, NV --- Two people and three dogs were rescued by firefighters after hundreds of bees started stinging them at an eastside Las Vegas neighborhood late Saturday morning. None of the injuries appeared to be serious. It took firefighters approximately two hours to bring the situation under control.

The first call was received by fire dispatchers at 10:36 a.m. Saturday that a person had been stung several times by bees at 1500 Pacific Street (Oakey/Eastern). When fire paramedics arrived on scene a few minutes later, they observed a large tree in front of a 1-story wood frame house had fallen against the house and broke in three places at the trunk. Inside the trunk of the tree, which was hollow, firefighters could see the tree was full of a large bee hive with several hundred bees flying around. The people who called for assistance were told to stay inside the house and firefighters would bring them out. Other fire units were dispatched to the scene to assist. Within a few minutes the people told firefighters that bees had entered the home and was stinging them and the dogs inside. As they retreated to rooms inside the house, firefighters decided to rescue the people using blankets to cover them and take them to a waiting ambulance down the street. They were able to successfully get them to the ambulance. The two people were taken to Sunrise hospital. The three dogs remained in the house.

Firefighters then attacked the hive using foam from a fire engine on scene. Other firefighters went back into the house with a shop type vacuum cleaner that was brought to the scene from a near-by fire station to trap the bees that were inside the home with the dogs. Once those bees were brought under control, the three dogs were brought out by firefighters and an animal control officer in protective clothing provided by the fire department to an animal control vehicle and taken from the scene. Only one of the dogs appeared to have been stung several times, a closer examination by a veterinarian will be needed.

The street was closed to traffic for approximately 90 minutes by Metro Police officers and firefighters went door to door and advised people to shelter in place during the incident.

Firefighters continued to spray foam on the tree and remove hive from the interior of the tree until a majority of the bees were exterminated and the scene was brought under control. A private exterminator will be needed to remove the dead tree from the private property. None of the firefighters were injured during the incident. (Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Press Release, 6/14/10.)

LAS VEGAS FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE 2 FROM BEE ATTACK
Las Vegas firefighters rescued two people and three dogs from a swarm of hundreds of bees that went on the attack.

LAS VEGAS, NV --- Las Vegas firefighters rescued two people and three dogs from a swarm of hundreds of bees that went on the attack.

The bees attacked Saturday after a hollow tree containing their hive fell against a house and broke into several pieces.
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The Las Vegas Fire Department says a woman, her 17-year old daughter and one of the dogs were stung several times.

There appeared to be no serious injuries.

Department spokesman Tim Szymanski says the bees followed the people and dogs inside their house.

The woman and teen were rescued using blankets to protect them as they were taken to a nearby ambulance and hospital. Firefighters used foam to attack the hive, and sucked bees out of the house using a vacuum. (Associated Press, 6/13/10.)

FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE MOTHER, DAUGHTER, DOGS FROM HUNDREDS OF BEES

LAS VEGAS, NV --- Las Vegas firefighters rescued two people and three dogs from a swarm of hundreds of bees that went on the attack Saturday morning in a neighborhood near Eastern Avenue and Oakey Boulevard.

The bees attacked after a hollow tree containing their hive fell against a house and broke into several pieces. A woman and her 17-year old daughter were stung several times, according to the Las Vegas Fire Department. One of the dogs also seemed to have been stung several times. There appeared to be no serious injuries.

Firefighters said they were alerted midmorning to the attack on the 1500 block of Pacific Street.

Firefighters and police closed the street for 90 minutes and recommended that residents stay behind closed doors.

Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said the bees followed the people and dogs inside their house.

"Usually we tell people to go inside the house," Szymanski said, but "it was just as bad on the inside as it was the outside."

The woman and teen were rescued using blankets to protect them as they were taken to a nearby ambulance. They were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center for observation.

Firefighters used foam to attack the hive, and sucked bees out of the house using a vacuum. Animal control personnel checked the dogs for injuries.

Szymanski said he has responded to about 400 calls of bee attacks in the past decade, but has never seen as large a hive as the one he saw Saturday.

"I couldn't believe the honey that was flowing out of that tree," he said. (Antonio Planas, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/13/10.)

TWO PEOPLE, THREE DOGS INJURED IN LAS VEGAS BEE ATTACK

LAS VEGAS, NV --- Two people and three dogs had to be rescued from their eastern Las Vegas home Saturday after being attacked by bees.

The bees were exposed when a large tree fell on the house at 1500 Pacific St., near Oakey Boulevard and Eastern Avenue. The tree's trunk, which contained a beehive, was broken in three places, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

The fire department was called to the home at 10:36 a.m. with a report that someone had been stung multiple times by bees at the home. When paramedics arrived, they found hundreds of bees flying around the one-story home.

The people who called for assistance were told to stay inside their home while firefighters tried to get the bees under control, but the bees quickly got inside the home and began to sting the two residents and their three dogs, Szymanski said.

Firefighters used blankets to cover the residents while rescuing them from the house and transporting them to a waiting ambulance down the street, but the dogs were left inside the house until bees were brought under control.

The two residents were taken to Sunrise Hospital for treatment, but their injuries were not serious, fire officials said.

Firefighters used foam from a fire engine to knock down the bees in the yard and used a shop vacuum to capture the bees inside the house.

It took about two hours for firefighters to get the situation under control. Metro Police officers closed the street for about 90 minutes and firefighters went door-to-door advising people to stay inside their homes until the bees were gone.

An animal control officer, who used protective clothing from the fire department to access the house, was eventually able to take the three dogs from the home. Only one of the dogs appeared to have multiple stings, Szymanski said.

No firefighters were injured in the event, but a private exterminator will be needed to remove the dead tree and the beehive from the property, officials said. (Kyle Hansen, Las Vegas Sun, 6/12/10.)

CAMELBACK HIKER INJURES LEG FLEEING BEES

PHOENIX, AZ --- A 51-year-old hiker trying to escape attacking bees Wednesday morning on Camelback Mountain injured his leg, a fire official said.

Fire crews responded to a call made by a friend of the man around 5:45 a.m. The man and his friend were hiking up the mountain when the bees attacked them, said Captain Scott Walker, a Phoenix Fire Department spokesman. The man was trying to escape when he fell and hurt his knee.

The fire department used a helicopter with a basket and rope system to get the man off the mountain.

Walker said the man was at a "steep angle," so a helicopter was needed. The man was flown to a landing zone lower down the mountain where he will be taken to a hospital in another helicopter.

"The bees are still with us for the next few months," Walker said, adding that people should be careful to avoid them. (Kyle Daly, The Arizona Republic, 6/2/10.)

5 OF WOMAN'S DOGS DIE AFTER BEE ATTACK

CASTROVILLE, TX --- On Friday, Mary Miranda lost Pinky, the only one of her dogs still clinging to life a week after being attacked by bees on her property near Castroville.

A colony in a neighbor's yard, agitated by the sound of a lawn mower on May 22, went after the young man trying to mow. He escaped into his house with only a dozen or so stings.

The dogs were not so lucky.

Lady and her offspring Emy, Rosie and Pinky, all purebred standard poodles, and a rescued Labrador named Destiny were chasing squirrels in Miranda's fenced yard.

Miranda opened her back door to find Pinky collapsed on the stairs, covered in grass and mud, eyes swollen shut from the stings. The bodies of Rosie, Destiny and Lady lay still in the yard, their matted, dirty fur evidence of their struggle. Emy panted weakly under a tree.

At the vet, Emy succumbed immediately, but Pinky held on, until Friday.

Miranda, meanwhile, is still afraid to let her "littles" as she calls her smaller poodles, back out into the yard.

She said the neighbor, who reacted angrily to television news reporters asking about the colony last week, said he has had exterminators out in the past in an effort to get rid of the colony.

The bees could be Africanized bees, which are similar in appearance to regular honey bees but are more aggressive when they feel threatened, according to experts, and are willing to defend the hive more quickly in response to stimuli, like a vibrating lawnmower or barking dog.

Bees of any type shouldn't be allowed to live in a house or other structure, according to the Texas A&M Honey Bee Lab. The longer a colony inhabits a structure, the more defensive the bees will become - and the more it will cost to remove them. (Tracy Idell Hamilton, San Antonio Express-News, 5/30/10.)

AFRICANIZED BEE ATTACK PROMPTS ROAD CLOSURE, HOSPITALIZATION

MIDLAND, TX --- Several residents and a family dog in an east Midland neighborhood were treated for bee stings and one person was taken to the hospital after a swarm of Africanized bees attacked them Saturday afternoon.

Authorities said they were called out to the 900 block of North Dallas Street around 4:30 p.m. after a few people on the street said they had been stung and went back inside their homes.

When paramedics arrived on the scene, officials said the swarm was so bad that they couldn't get to the house to treat the individuals. A homeowner covered himself and went out to retrieve his dog that was being attacked.

Firefighters, layered in their bunker gear and protective wear, were able to go inside the home, wrap the patients up in a blanket and carry them to the ambulance for treatment.

One of the individuals was taken to Midland Memorial Hospital as a precautionary measure, said officials.

Midland police shut down the street from Mississippi Avenue to Garden Lane until a local beekeeper arrived. Authorities went to each house on the street and warned homeowners to stay inside until the bees were caught.

A few first responders were also stung.

MFD Battalion Chief Chad Clark said the beekeeper found a majority of the bees were stuck in the side of one of the homes and in the walls of the house and was able to kill many of them.

"They can be aggressive," he said. "They'll chase people down."

Several years ago, Clark said there were about 10-12 calls in one year but that attacks haven't been as bad in recent years.

Authorities said that if anyone notices a swarm of bees to stay inside their residence and call for help.

"The worst thing they can do is go outside," Clark said. "Just be careful ... when more people come around (the bees) it will agitate them and make it worse." (Audrie Palmer and by Staff Reports, Midland Reporter-Telegram, 5/29/10.)

TAMPA MAN CUTTING LAWN STUNG OVER 100 TIMES BY BEES

TAMPA, FL --- The two young paramedics called out to a man covered in bees Friday morning, asking him to come closer to their ambulance and hoping all the bees wouldn't.

"They were swarming," said Sophia Cardenas, a firefighter with Tampa Fire Rescue. "He had a look of desperation on his face."

The 47-year-old man had been cutting grass at 1224 E Park Circle just before 11 a.m. when the bees attacked and stung him more than 100 times, according to Fire Rescue. Authorities did not release his name.

Cardenas, 22, said the man was shirtless and wearing jeans, so the bees blanketed his chest, arms, neck, face and even wriggled their way into his chin-length hair.

She and her fellow paramedic, Justin Thompson, were the first to arrive to the call of a bee attack, and threw on their fire coats and hoods before they approached. Thompson told the man to walk away from the bees and get on the other side of the ambulance.

"It took about three minutes to beat the bees off him with the towels," Cardenas said.

An engine arrived shortly after and crews rushed the man to St. Joseph's Hospital, where workers counted more than 100 bee stings on his body.

It was an interesting ride, since neither paramedic was particularly fond of bees.

"I was stung twice - in the face," Cardenas said.

Thompson, 27, said some of the bees hiding in the man's hair came out en route to the hospital, so they were killing bees along the way.

"We put him in a D-Con shower and then the hospital began his treatment," Thompson said.

The man didn't appear to have an allergy and was in stable condition, Cardenas said.

Both Fire Rescue members said this was their first experience with bees on this scale.

"It looked like he was covered in whiteheads," Cardenas said.

Hours later back at 1224 E Park Circle, the front yard stood unmowed, covered in brown leaves as a man sprayed insecticide into bushes and trees lining the front of the single story house that sits more than 100 feet off the street.

A piece of the roof had been ripped off the front of the home to reveal what was once the nest of the dangerous swarm.

"I don't like (bees)," Cardenas said. "When you have a patient that needs help, that's not an issue." (Robbyn Mitchell, St Petersburg Times, 5/29/10.)

SWARM OF BEES ATTACKS TAMPA MAN, PARAMEDICS SAY

TAMPA, FL --- They were trained to wait for the fire hoses before confronting a swarm.

But when two Tampa Fire Rescue paramedics arrived at the home and saw a man writhing on the ground covered in bees, they knew they couldn't delay.

"The guy could see us," said Justin Thompson, one of the paramedics. "I couldn't imagine just sitting there waiting for backup."

Neither relished the idea of wading in among the swarm, but they swallowed their fear.

"He had a look of desperation and he needed our help," said Sophia Cardenas, the other firefighter.

The pair donned their heavy "bunker" coats, covered their heads with fireproof hoods and went to get the 47-year-old. They battled for about three minutes, using towels and the hoods to beat off the bees before reaching the safety of their vehicle.

The man, who was cutting the lawn at 1224 E. Park Circle at about 11 a.m., was stung more than 100 times.

He was released after being treated at St. Joseph Hospital. He hasn't been identified.

Cardenas was stung twice in the face. Thompson avoided the stingers.

"I don't like bees but when you have a patient that needs your help, it's not an issue," Cardenas said.

She said the bee was identified as an Africanized "killer" bee.

The hive was apparently built inside a rotten soffit in the front of the home. Hours later it was removed. The smell of insecticide permeated the yard. The driveway was littered with crushed honeycomb and dead bees.

Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade said each class at the agency's academy is shown a film about Africanized bees and told to use hoses to douse the bees away.

However, Wade had no problems with Thompson and Cardenas ignoring the advice."They didn't have that option," he said. "They used what was available and brought the man to safety." (By Tom Brennan, The Tampa Tribune, 5/28/10.)

4 POODLES DIE, ANOTHER DOG FIGHTS FOR LIFE AFTER BEES SWARM

CASTROVILLE, TX --- Four poodles are dead and another dog is fighting for her life tonight. Their owner says she wasn't prepared for bees to swarm her home, in the Pioneer Estates Subdivision near Castroville.

Mary Miranda says she discovered her 4 dogs dead outside her home Saturday morning. The fifth poodle survived but is not doing too well.

Miranda's neighbor Ben Ornelas says he was mowing his lawn when a swarm of bees attacked him. He was stung at least a dozen times, on his back, arms and neck, but managed to get away. The bees then left his house and went next door to Miranda's where they got the dogs.

The bees have built a home several houses down from Miranda and Ornelas and that's where the are believed to have come from. The owner of that house is James McAnelly. He says an exterminator has come out several times, costing him hundreds of dollars but the bees keep returning.

Residents believe the bees are Africanized bees. A beekeeper tells KENS5, it's not unlikely but the only way to know is by sending a sample to a lab. Even then, the beekeeper says it's very difficult to identify the different types of bees.

Meanwhile, Miranda says her dogs were her family. She's owned them for years, but she fears the next victim will be a child. (KENS News 5 Staff, 5/27/10.)

NEIGHBORS RESCUE ARIZONA MAN ATTACKED BY BEES

PRESCOTT, AZ ---- A Chino Valley man credits his neighbors with quick action that likely saved his life during a bee swarm Tuesday.

Neighbors grabbed a hose and sprayed down Eric Warthan as bees were busy stinging him.

One neighbor said she pulled 26 stingers out of Warthan's skin.

Warthan said he was just walking from his truck to his home north of Prescott when the bees attacked.

He told the Prescott Daily Courier it was a "nightmarish experience" as angry bees stung his face.

Chino Valley resident Ryan West said the bees also attacked several children getting off a school bus a few blocks away about an hour earlier on Tuesday. (Associated Press, 5/27/10.)

NEIGHBOR SAVES CHINO MAN FROM BEE ATTACK

CHINO VALLEY, CA --- Eric Warthan credits his neighbor's quick thinking for saving his life Tuesday when a swarm of bees attacked him in Chino Valley.

Warthan's neighbor Ryan West grabbed a hose and sprayed Warthan as Warthan came running his way with the bees attacking him.

Then West led Warthan into his home, despite the fact that about 20 bees also got inside and one stung West.

West's girlfriend Kathleen Larson pulled 26 stingers out of Warthan's skin, mostly from his face and neck.

Warthan said he was just walking from his truck to his home when the bees attacked.

He took off his shirt to cover his face, but then he couldn't see where he was going.

"That was a nightmarish experience," he said. "They're real personal about it - they go after your face."

The bees also attacked several children getting off the school bus a few blocks away about an hour earlier on Tuesday, said West, whose children saw the attack.

About the same time, bees attacked Warthan's wife Pepper as she left the house to go pick up her husband.

Several bees chased her around the yard and one stung her before she was able to get several out of her hair and get into her truck.

When the couple returned home, they decided Eric would run to the front door of the house and unlock it, then Pepper would run in after him, just in case the bees were still around.

That's when the bees attacked Eric as Pepper watched helplessly from the truck.

After the attack was over, Eric felt nauseous and called for an ambulance. Chino Valley firefighters arrived and checked him out before concluding he didn't need hospitalization.

A firefighter in full gear brought the truck keys back to Pepper so she could drive to the West house and pick up her husband.

They then went to the local pharmacy and got advice about what medicines would sooth the stinging.

The experience was especially frightening for the Warthans because they both have a fear of bees.

"It's the only insect on the planet that scares me to death," Eric said. But he still never thought bees would attack him like that.

The bees might have come from a hive in an unoccupied nearby house. West said he warned the homeowner a few weeks ago about the hive. While Pepper was trapped in the truck Tuesday, she saw someone don a protective suit and go after the hive at that house.

The owner of that house, La Dema Congdon, said town officials warned her about the bees about 1.5 years ago and she hired an exterminator who sprayed the mobile home, but apparently the bees returned or the exterminator didn't get them all. So when a town official called again recently, she hired a beekeeper.

The beekeeper warned neighbors he would be trying to capture the bees Tuesday, she related. The beekeeper also thought other hives were in the area, she said.

While the Warthans and West don't know whether the bees were Africanized, the bees' actions suggest that is possible.

Africanized bees are more likely to attack people, and they go after the head and neck. They also tend to go after darker-colored animals because they resemble bears that eat their honey. Warthan was wearing a black shirt and black pants Tuesday.

The Africanized bees have been migrating northward and interbreeding with more docile domestic bees since a researcher crossing aggressive African bees with others accidentally let them escape from a Brazilian laboratory in 1956. Some call them killer bees. They arrived in the United States in 1990. Local experts say they have been in Yavapai County for at least a decade.

Local beekeepers hope isolated incidents of Africanized bee attacks don't turn people against bees in general. Bees pollinate countless flowers and food, and people can use their honey to increase their immunity to allergies. (Joanna Dodder Nellans, The Prescott Daily Courier, 5/26/2010.)

What to do if bees attack
Following is some advice about what to do if bees attack and you don't have a friendly neighbor nearby with a garden hose:

• If the bees are coming at you, run to an enclosed area such as your home or vehicle. You have to shut the vents in your vehicle, because otherwise they'll come through them to get you.
• If you're not near a building or car, try to cover your head and run as fast as you can for as long as you can. The bees can fly only 12 to 15 mph, and their territory is 1/4 to 1/2 mile, so try to run farther than that.
• Assume all hives and swarms are those of Africanized honeybees and stay away from them, even if the bees appear calm.
• Keep an eye out for swarms or potential hives in your neighborhood.
• It's worth it to pay a beekeeper to take bees away versus trying to kill them yourself, which can get you killed instead.

It's also better to call a beekeeper than an exterminator to avoid problems such as other animals eating leftover poisoned honey. Exterminators often refuse to deal with bees anyway, and honeybees are having enough trouble surviving in the face of a strange disease called colony collapse disorder that is killing them off en masse.

The Yavapai County Extension Office has written information about Africanized bees. The Extension Office also can direct people to beekeepers who can safely get rid of bees.

KILLER BEES ATTACK MAN, ALMOST LIVE UP TO THEIR NAME

SAN DIEGO, CA --- An East County man is still shaken up after being attacked by a swarm of killer bees. Sixty-eight-year-old Pablo Gomez accidentally disturbed the aggressive insects while clearing brush. Now he's afraid to go back outside.

Tecate resident Pablo Gomez still has nightmares from last Friday afternoon's killer bee attack that hospitalized him with more than 75 stings.

He accidentally provoked the colony while he was clearing brush with a weed whacker around a stack of wooden drawers where the Africanized bees had settled.

After being swarmed, Gomez tried to run away but an aggressive pack chased him. He yelled to his wife to call 911, and then picked up a nearby garden hose to spray the insects away.

At one point Gomez tried to seek shelter inside a van, but the bees were locked in on him and wouldn't slow down.

When firefighters finally arrived with protection gear, which includes a head covering, net and gloves, the father of four was still trying to flee from hundreds of bees. His hands and face were quickly swelling.

"Many people get what's called anaphylactic shock, their throat starts to close up and they have an allergic reaction. You may not think you're allergic to bees, but don't take that chance. Get seen, call 911 and get to the hospital," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nick Schuler said.

Gomez says he's just too afraid to return to the hive, which sits in the middle of his Tecate Road ranch. He's confident that until the colony is removed, he will get attacked by the boisterous bees if he gets too close to them.

He says he can't afford to remove the colony because he's on a fixed income. He is hoping someone in the community will step forward to help. (KFMB-760 Radio, 5/26/10)

VICTIM OF BEE-SWARM ATTACK RECALLS PRAYING

EAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA --- Pablo Gomez thought he was going to die and prayed for the pain to end as he endured the relentless stings from a swarm of bees believed to be the aggressive Africanized variety.

Although he survived the Friday afternoon attack and is home from the hospital, Gomez, 68, is stressed and afraid of venturing out on the East County property he has rented for 25 years.

The colony of bees he accidentally disturbed while clearing brush is still there. Gomez said neither he nor the elderly owner of the property can afford to pay for bee removal services.

Gomez, who is diabetic, learned at the hospital that he had been stung by about 75 bees. "The doctor said I was lucky I didn't have a heart attack," he said. "I couldn't stand it, they were killing me."

Gomez said he started to run when he was swarmed, but it was no use so he yelled to his wife to call 911. He said he grabbed a garden hose and tried to douse himself with water "but it seemed they stuck to me even more."

Firefighters said he was running from hundreds of bees when they arrived. He was later airlifted to a hospital. The swelling of his face and hands has subsided, but he still has soreness and pain. And fear.

"I'm scared to go out. I wish someone would help me (get rid of the bees)," Gomez said. "They're still there, about 300 feet from where I sleep."

His wife, who has breast cancer, stays indoors most of the time, but he is worried about his animals. He tends to take in strays and abandoned puppies. He has seven dogs and two goats at the property on Tecate Road, not far from the U.S.-Mexico border.

The county does not remove bees from private property and suggests property owners use a professional bee removal service.

According to the San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures, most wild bees in the county are Africanized. The Africanized honey bees, which are sometimes called killer bees, attack quickly and sting in larger numbers than their European honey bee cousins.

"They were on my face, my eyes, my lips, my legs," Gomez said. "I thought I was going to go crazy from the pain." (Blanca Gonzalez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/26/10.)

IF YOU ARE STUNG

* Move quickly to a safe area.
* Scrape the stinger out with a fingernail, knife blade or credit card. Don't squeeze, the pressure will release more venom.
* Wash sting area with soap and water like any other wound.
* Apply an ice pack for a few minutes to relieve pain and swelling.
* Seek medical attention if you have trouble breathing, if you are stung multiple times or are allergic.
Source : County of San Diego Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures

MAN SWARMED BY BEES SAYS THREAT STILL BUZZING

EAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA - Pablo Gomez thought he was going to die and prayed for the pain to end as he endured the relentless stings from a swarm of bees believed to be the aggressive Africanized variety.

Although he survived the Friday afternoon attack and is home from the hospital, Gomez, 68, is stressed and afraid of venturing out on the East County property he has rented for 25 years.

The colony of bees he accidentally disturbed while clearing brush is still there. Gomez said neither he nor the elderly owner of the property can afford to pay for bee removal services.

Gomez, who is diabetic, learned at the hospital that he was stung by about 75 bees. "The doctor said I was lucky I didn't have a heart attack," he said. "I couldn't stand it, they were killing me."

Gomez said he started to run when he was swarmed, but it was no use so he yelled to his wife to call 911. He said he grabbed a garden hose and tried to douse himself with water "but it seemed they stuck to me even more."

Firefighters said he was running from hundreds of bees when they arrived. He was later airlifted to a hospital. The swelling of his face and hands has subsided but he still has soreness and pain. And fear.

"I'm scared to go out. I wish someone would help me (get rid of the bees)," Gomez said. "They're still there, about 300 feet from where I sleep."

His wife, who has breast cancer, stays indoors most of the time but he is worried about his animals. He tends to take in strays and abandoned puppies. He has seven dogs and two goats at the property on Tecate Road, not far from the U.S.-Mexico border.

The county does not remove bees from private property and suggests property owners use a professional bee removal service.

According to the San Diego County Department of Agriculture, most wild bees in the county are Africanized. The Africanized honey bees, which are sometimes called killer bees, attack quickly and sting in larger numbers than their European honey bee cousins.

"They were on my face, my eyes, my lips, my legs," Gomez said. "I thought I was going to go crazy from the pain." (Blanca Gonzalez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/25/10.)

RESIDENT DESCRIBE FEAR, PAIN OF BEE ATTACK

IDALOU, TX --- A bee attack sent four Idalou residents to University Medical Center on Sunday, with possibly even more people suffering bee stings. Updated information on their conditions was not available as of Monday evening.

Linda Samarrepa describes the attack for KCBD NewsChannel 11, saying her weekend was going just fine until she saw hundreds of bees swarming her yard and attacking her daughter.

"There was yelling and screaming and then I saw her doing this with her hair," Samarrepa recalled as she made a motion with her hand over her head. "And that's when I saw all the bees around her."

"I was pulling them out of her hair any way that I could with my hands. I was squashing them and the more that I pulled them out, the more [they] were coming and they were just all around us."

Samarrepa's daughter, Gabby, says it all started when kids threw rocks at a beehive. It didn't take long for the bees to strike back. She says the bees stung her on her face, and continued to attack.

"They got me right here, on my back and on my chest," Gabby says.

EMS teams rushed to the scene to help victims, but Idalou's Fire Chief, Ed Willbanks, said there was only so much they could do.

"We've been out to spray down bees before." Willbanks says, "We spray them down, but we don't kill them. They get that foam on them and they can't move, but we're not really an exterminator.

Tim Gafford of Gafford Pest Control gave some tips on what to do if attacked by bees. "Get somewhere where it's cool and stay there. If you've got bee stings, lay down or go to a doctor, but stay in a cool place, or put ice on it." (Michael Slother, KCBD Newschannel 11, 5/24/10.)

TAYLOR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: BEES TRAP WOMAN IN BATHROOM

Abilene, TX --- 05/21 12:24 PM - Report of bees attacking caller's dog, at a residence on Bird Road in Merkel. Merkel Volunteer Fire Department responded.

Abilene, TX --- 05/21 7:53 PM - Caller on 911 stated she is "covered in bees," and that she was going to pass out. Phone disconnected, and received voicemail on callback. Phone number showed an Abilene business with a post office box address. Phone number for business gave cellphone number, but no one answered.

Second call from victim, with possible numerical address and county road between FM 1085 & FM 126, north of Merkel in Jones County. Merkel EMS responded, and advised that they are unable to make contact with victim, and that back door of the residence is completely covered in bees.

Jones County S.O. stated that residents are locked in their bathroom. TCSO and Jones County S.O. attempted to contact beekeepers to respond. Tye Volunteer Fire Department enroute as mutual aide, with bee suits. Jones County S.O. assumed control of the scene, and TCSO officer was no longer needed. (Abilene News-Reporter, From Taylor County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. John Cummins, 524/10.)

BEE SWARM PUTS AT LEAST FOUR IN LOCAL HOSPITAL

IDALOU, TX - A bee swarm attacked at least four people in Idalou.

A 7-year-old boy was injured so badly that AeroCare was dispatched to the scene. Authorities think he may have been allergic to bee stings.

The boy and three others were taken to University Medical Center. At least one person was stung more than 50 times. An 11-year-old girl was also stung many times.

The Idalou Fire Department used special foam on the bee hive to get rid of them. The incident was near the corner of 2nd & Walnut Streets in Idalou. The Idalou Police Chief tells KCBD NewsChannel 11 that he does not know if the bees were Africanized or "killer bees". (James Clark , KCBD Newschannel 11, 5/23/10.)

BEE ATTACK INJURES SEVERAL PEOPLE

EDINBURG, TX --- Three people and at least two dogs are recovering after being attacked by a swarm of bees.

It happened just after 7:00 Friday night on East Peter Street.

Firefighters tell CHANNEL 5 NEWS the bees swarmed after a man mowing the lawn stirred up a hive in the home next to his.

The man, his wife and a neighbor were all stung. Two dogs also stung, one of them seriously.

Fire officials say the home's owner will have to hire an exterminator to get rid of the bees. (KRGV Newschannell 5, 5/21/10.)

BEE ATTACK INJURES SEVERAL PEOPLE

EDINBURG, TX --- Three people and at least two dogs are recovering after being attacked by a swarm of bees.

It happened just after 7:00 Friday night on East Peter Street.

Firefighters tell CHANNEL 5 NEWS the bees swarmed after a man mowing the lawn stirred up a hive in the home next to his.

The man, his wife and a neighbor were all stung. Two dogs also stung, one of them seriously.

Fire officials say the home's owner will have to hire an exterminator to get rid of the bees. (KRGV-TV News 5, 5/21/10.)

HERE'S THE BUZZ ON WHY THERE'S LOTS OF BEES ...

ALBILENE, TX --- Spring showers brought May flowers, and entomologists say that also means a record number of bees.

"Bees are an indicator of the type of environment we have," said Steve Davis, a beekeeper. He said the spring rains and increase of wildflowers could lead to an increase of bees in the area.

Davis said he started seeing signs of the bee increase two weeks ago when he received 12 bee-related calls in one week. He said some of those calls were about hives that had been around for years, but removing a hive can be expensive and time consuming.

On Tuesday, area police departments reported two different bee-related emergencies. According to Taylor County Sheriff's Office reports, one man ran over a bee hive with a lawn mower, and a mother and son were attacked by a hive under their house. The son sustained 30 to 40 stings from the attack.

Homer Golendo, owner of Sure Shot Pest Management, said honey bees are less aggressive than Africanized bees, but the only way to know for sure if a bee is Africanized is by looking at it under a microscope.

"Sometimes honey bees will just let you walk right to them, but if they are aggressive bees, they will let you know real quick," Golendo said.

Davis said about 90 percent of Texas bees are tainted with the Africanized gene. However, they have been bred with a calmer, European bee to help even out the aggression. In an attack, Davis said the key is to remain as calm as possible.

"A lot of times bees will actually bump into you to warn you to get away," Davis said. "If you proceed, then they sting."

Instead of flailing or swatting, Davis said to turn around and walk away slowly. If an attack occurs, he said, get inside a building or car to confine the bees.

Melissa Sturdivant, Taylor County horticulture agent, said people can take precautions to avoid disturbing the bees. She said bees are sensitive to movements and vibrations in the ground, so people should use extra caution when using lawn mowers and edgers. Residents also should avoid disturbing the bees.

"If they feel their hive is threatened, that is when you have problems between bees and humans," Sturdivant said.

Golendo said the best thing to do after finding a hive or being attacked is to call a professional.

Homeowners should not try to use bug spray on a hive, Sturdivant said. Instead, she suggests observing the suspected hive from a distance.

"If you see bees flying around in large amounts, you can sit and watch where they may be entering," Sturdivant said. "You may see a constant flow of traffic, and you can find where they are living."

Sturdivant also said homeowners can take precautions now to avoid bee colonies from creating a hive on their property later. She said bees will find any crack or crevice in a house or tree to start building a hive. To avoid a bee infestation, she suggests residents walk around their houses, barns or sheds, looking for any openings and use caulking or steel wool to seal them.

Even though bees can be dangerous, Golendo said people shouldn't fear the insects.

"You just have to respect them," Golendo said. "Bees are beneficial to the environment, and they provide honey,"

Sturdivant said the positive side of the bee increase is that they pollinate flowers and also provide crop genetic diversity and cross-pollination of crops and flowers.

"Bees are our No. 1 pollinator," Sturdivant said. "We desperately need them for pollination." (Linda Bailey, Abilene Reporter-News, 5/21/10.)

AFRICANIZED BEES STING MAN 70 TIMES

EAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA --- A 68-year-old man was hospitalized Friday after he was stung as many as 70 times by a colony of Africanized bees while he was clearing brush from his home about 4:50 p.m. on Tecate Road near the U.S.-Mexico border, CalFire said.

Firefighters saw the man running from hundreds of bees when they arrived at his house and he was later airlifted to Grossmont Hospital, said Nick Schuler, spokesman for CalFire.

Africanized bees are more aggressive and attack in larger swarms than other bees.(Leonel Sanchez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/21/10.)

YARD WORKERS ATTACKED BY BEES AGAIN

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX --- It's going to be a great time this weekend to mow your yard, but you might want to be careful because it is bee season.

We've heard several reports just this morning about people being attacked by bees.

The most recent incident happened just this morning on the 1500 block of Greenwood. A man cutting the grass was attacked by bees near an electrical box.

Luckily he didn't suffer any major injuries, but vector control has some tips to make sure you're careful when doing some yard work.

"When you're cutting the grass, check your areas like the cable pedestals, electrical box, your water meters around your house and trees. Right now this is the season for them to be moving," said Tony Pantoja with Corpus Christi Vector Control. (Rashi Vats, KRIS- TV News 8, Corpus Christi News, 5/21/10.)

DOG ATTACKED BY SWARM OF BEES

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Around 11 a.m. emergency workers with the San Antonio Fire Department responded to a bee attack.

A husky got the worst of the bee attack. He was covered with bees.

An eyewitness says the dog is usually chained up and firefighters helped it break free.

Owners of the dog scooped him up and drove away to the vet.

Firefighters say four to five people including two firefighters were stung.

Workers found the source of the bees and used foam to take care of the bees. (James Munoz, KVUE-TV, 5/20/10.)

BEES KILL 2 MORE HORSES
Old Red the mule survives

NUECES COUNTY, TX --- Two horses were killed after being attacked by Africanized bees Saturday afternoon in Nueces County, which is the second deadly bee attack in the area in the past two months.

Bishop Animal Control and the Kleberg County Mounted Patrol responded to a call on Farm to Market Road 70 and County Road 77 after a couple came home to find one horse dead, another under attack and in distress, and their mule also under attack by a swarm of Africanized bees.

The two horses and mule were a familiar sight to motorists traveling too and from Corpus Christi via FM 70.

"Mr. Joe Carr with Animal Control in Bishop called me, and since we had just finished the Bishop Centennial Parade we were in the area, and he knew I had a trailer and could help," Marsha Prukop, Kleberg County Mounted Patrol Officer, said.

"The couple who owned the horses are friends of mine, and I am always willing to help out in an emergency when I can," she said.

Prukop said when she arrived one horse had already died and another was being attacked by the bees but in order to not risk their own safety she and Carr had to wait for the fire department to arrive to contain the bees.

"It was very distressing watching the horse being attacked but at the same time we could not risk our own life," Prukop said.

"It was obvious that the horse had been stung over a thousand times, and once the fire department was able to get rid of the bees we immediately rendered aid to the horse," she said.

A veterinarian was called and began treating the surviving horse, but the horse's system was already shutting down, she said.

"The mule, Old Red, suffered about 50 stings as well but was able to be treated with antihistamine shots," Prukop said.

"He was covered in mud, which we think helped him because the bees were not able to get their stingers into him easily,"

Prukop called David Deacon, a fellow Kleberg County Mounted Patrol Officer, to find a good place for the 25 year-old mule so that he could recover and get back in good health.

"We cleaned him up, and I called a good friend of mine, Sandy Alexander, who was gracious enough to keep Old Red on his land and take care of him," Deacon said.

"He is going to be just fine."

Deacon spoke of the increasing danger of Africanized bees in our area.

"The greatest danger we have in this area more than rattlesnakes and other animals seems to be Africanized bees because once they attack we really are defenseless," Deacon said.

"The horses just couldn't run away fast enough."

This attack follows a similar one in March where two horses were killed in Riviera as a result of being stung by Africanized bees.

Africanized bees breed especially well in South Texas in cavities such as hollow trees and rock walls, sheds, porches, crawl spaces, attics and utility meter boxes.

Trash cans, discarded automobile tires and abandoned cars have also been selected by swarming bees as a suitable harborage. (Erika Hernandez, Kingsville Record And Bishop News, 5/19/10.)

RENTER STUNG 140 TIMES INSIDE BEE-INFESTED HOME

FORT MYERS, FL --- Bees were found between the floors, in the windowsills and even pouring out of the walls of a Fort Myers home. And now, two people are in the hospital after being stung hundreds of times.

It happened in a house on a dead-end street in the Tice area of Fort Myers.

"We get stung so much, our animals get stung and our friends can't come outside. It's dangerous," said renter BethAnne Sedore.

Since the renters moved in four months ago, they've been living with dangerous neighbors - thousands of them.

"Right here on my hands and foot lying in bed, I was stung," said renter Wanda Curtis.

Even the babies living there have sting scars. The property manager tried to fix the problem a while back with a foam, but only moved the danger closer.

"It's in our ceilings, our floors, in the walls - dangerous," said Sedore.

Beekeeper Keith Councell got the call Thursday night after a bee attack left one woman stung more than 140 times.

"It's frustrating because this is a simple situation to have remedied before all this happened," he said.

He said his calls to the property manager, AAA Renters, were ignored. He even said he is willing to fix this problem for free. Though it's a big job, he says it's needed.

"We don't need someone getting killed by bees and that's what could have happened here," said Councell. (Katie LaGrone, WZVN-TV 7 News, 5/7/10.)

RV PARK MANAGER SURVIVED BEE ATTACK
Man stung more than 500 times Monday

SAN ANGELO, TX - He keeps the hundreds of bee stingers in a jar as a reminder of the time when they had all pierced his skin. Wilburn Ritter is still taking steroids to combat the effects of more than 500 bee stings he got in a single day this week.

On Monday, he came on a bunch of bees while driving a tractor around some brush that he had planned to eradicate.

"I had just about completed a circle when I disturbed them son of a guns," Ritter said. "They covered me."

Ritter said he drove his tractor away full speed. Two men came up to him and hollered at him to get off the machine.

One of the men took off his shirt to wipe the bees away, Ritter said; that man got about 100 stings and the other had about 75.

"They were in my ears, my mouth and my eyes," Ritter said. "I had a hundred stingers in my head."

Assistant Chief Greg Boyle of the San Angelo Fire Department said Ritter was lucky to have people help him.

"You can't find a friend when you get attacked by bees," Boyle said.

Ritter, who manages the Huling Mobile Home and RV Park at Fisherman's Road where the incident happened, said he got his wife to douse him with wasp spray, which did nothing.

Boyle said the fire department uses soap water to combat bees, which gets in their respiratory systems so that they can't breath and on their wings so that they can't fly.

Boyle stressed that people are not allowed to kill bees unless they are attacking or have nested on a public utility, such as a water meter.

Travis Lane, the president of the Concho Valley Beekeepers Association, said beekeepers are called out frequently to remove a bee hive or problem.

Ritter said Fire Station 8 responded to their 911 call, and the firemen got Ritter and the others inside.

"By that time, they got me on a stretcher and put me in the ambulance and put me on an IV right there," Ritter said.

Ritter said the medical personnel spent three hours pulling out the stingers.

He said late in the week he was still on steroids because the bee attack had given him breathing problems. Ritter wanted to thank the crew at Station 8 for getting out there even though it was not in their jurisdiction.

"They had a fast response. They saved my life. If I had to wait on the volunteer fire department, I wouldn't be here," Ritter said.

Lane said he suspects that the brush contained an actual hive and were not merely swarming through as the bees looked for a new hive.

John Canyon, a nurse practitioner at the San Angelo Community Medical Center, said seven stings per pound can be fatal, but those who have allergies can have serious medical problems with only a few stings.

Lane said about 2 percent of the population is highly allergic to the point that it could be life threatening.

Canyon said people can seek out an allergy specialist to find out if they are allergic.

Boyle and Lane suggest caution when mowing as vibrations tend to put bees aggressively on the defense as they sense a threat to their nest.

"People just need to be more aware of their surroundings," Lane said.

Boyal said there are four to five attacks per year.

Ritter isn't sure what has become of the swarm that attacked him and he hasn't checked on them.

"I'm not going back up there for a while," Ritter said. (Matthew Waller, San Angelo Standard Times, 4/30/10.)

AFRICANIZED BEES EXPANDING IN THE BEEHIVE STATE
Agriculture Inspectors have detected nearly 100 hives, mostly along southern tier

SALT LAKE CITY, UT --- State inspectors have found nearly 100 colonies of Africanized bees in Washington, Iron and Kane counties since January 2009, when the aggressive insects were first detected in Utah.

Colonies, initially spotted in the St. George area, have also been found in Cedar City, Parowan, LaVerkin, Beryl, Modena and Kolob, said Larry Lewis, spokesman for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

To determine the extent of the migration, inspectors are continuing to monitor the three southern Utah counties. And, they're setting up traps in Kane, Garfield, Beaver, Grand and San Juan counties.

Africanized bees pose a threat to commercial beekeepers, who must periodically inspect hives to ensure that the more dominant Africianzied varieties don't infiltrate domestic colonies. Farmers and other agricultural interest depend on bees to pollinate crops and produce.

The only known attack on a Utahn occurred last August in the Iron County town of Beryl. The man, who unwittingly disturbed a hive inside an old tractor, was taken to the hospital and released the same day.

It's impossible to distinguish Africanized bees from their gentler European cousins without genetic testing, Lewis said. But Africanized bees are more aggressive in attacks, and they can pursue a victim for a quarter mile or more.

Pete Kuhlmann, with the Washington County Office of Emergency Services, said Africianized bees also can colonize in areas where hives are not normally seen.

Kuhlman advised residents to be aware of their surroundings and watch for bee activity. Also, be careful with lawn mowers and power equipment around bees because they can be agitated by the noise and vibration, he said.

Homeowners can bee-proof buildings by sealing cracks and holes, and covering vents with screening.

Officials say Africanized insects should not be called killer bees. They've been linked to 14 fatalities in the U.S. since about 1990. By comparison, there are about 200 deaths each year from motorists colliding with deer. (Dawn House, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4/26/10.)

TATUM NEIGHBORHOOD BATTLES BEE INFESTATION

LONGVIEW, TX ---- For some residents in Tatum, spring brings the renewal of an unpleasant nature problem. Abandoned for a decade, an old lumber store is a haven for stinging insects and other potentially dangerous wildlife.

Parents along Jefferson Street keep a close eye on their children, frightened because the back end of the nearby abandoned store is home to countless bees, wasps and other pests.

"I have to keep my three kids away from the swing-set," said concerned parent Shelly Carpenter. "They can't even play in their yard because they're scared. 'The bees are going to get me mommy,' that's what they say."

"It could be real serious if there's children walking around stinging bees," said Tatum police officer and animal control officer Karri Roehl. "Someone's allergic to them."

The bees are identified as wood bees, non aggressive, but little consolation to those who are allergic.

"One of my biggest concerns is I drop school children off at the end of this road and they have to walk by this building every day twice a day," said school bus driver Caffie Harris, who is allergic to bee stings.

The problem is not new.

"I've been living here seven years and for as long as I have been here the bees have infested this building," said Carpenter.

"We contacted city hall several times to have something done about this problem," said Harris.

Other animals have been spotted in the building, including skunks and feral cats. Parents are angry and want the property owner to do something.

"It's just scary and I'm tired of living this way," said Carpenter. "I'm tired of living scared."

The city is still trying to find who the owner is, but, regardless, action will be taken.

"We'll take care of it," said Roehl. "This will be taken care of."

The city is aware of the problem and will contact the appropriate owner, and provide him a reasonable amount of time to get rid of all pests. If the owner doesn't take action, the city will perform pest control and then present the owner a bill. (Bob Hallmark, KLTV-TV News 5, 4/22/10.)

TUCSON COUPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOLLOWING BEE ATTACK

TUCSON, AZ --- A Tucson couple had to be taken to the hospital, after they were attacked by a swarm of bees.

It happened just before 2:00 p.m. Monday, at a home on East Calle Muleta, near Irvington Road and Kino Parkway.

Tucson Firefighters say a man and woman were on their back porch, and the man was trying to remove and old beehive.

The bees attacked, and the couple tried to run inside the home, but the bees followed through a sliding glass door.

Firefighters arrived, and found more than 100 bees inside the home, as well as thousands of bees outside. Crews used foam to break up the swarm.

The couple was taken to an area hospital to get checked out.

Tucson Fire offers a number of tips, to keep you and your family safe from bee attacks.�

• Check your property regularly for bee colonies. Honey bees nest in a wide variety of places, especially Africanized honey bees. Check animal burrows, water meter boxes, overturned flower pots, trees and shrubs.
• Keep pets and children indoors when using weed eaters, hedge clippers, tractor power mowers, chain saws, etc. Attacks frequently occur when a person is mowing the lawn or pruning shrubs and they inadvertently strike a bee's nest.
• Avoid excessive motion when near a colony. Bees are much more likely to respond to an object in motion than a stationary one.
• Don't pen, tie or tether animals near bee hives or nests.
• Don't destroy bee colonies or hive, especially with pesticides. Honey bees are a vital link to U.S. agriculture. Each year, pollination by honey bees adds at least $10 billion to the value of more than 90 crops. They also produce about $150 million worth of honey each year.
• Don't remove bees yourself. If you want bees removed, look in the yellow pages under "bee removal" or "beekeepers".
• Don't try to exterminate the bees yourself. Most people do not have the necessary safety equipment to remove bees. Past attempts of people trying to exterminate bees themselves have led to serious injury and death in the United States. Making the decision to exterminate bees on your own can not only endanger your life, but that of your friends, family and neighbors. This is extremely dangerous and you are advised to leave this to a professional exterminator.

Bee safety tips courtesy of Capt. Trish Tracy, Tucson Fire Department. (Paul Birmingham, KOLD-TV 13, 4/19/10.)

BEES SWARM HOUSTON HOME

HOUSTON, TX-- A Houston family said they have been struggling for nearly two years to rid their home of thousands of bees.

Josie Parra said she, her husband and their 2-year-old daughter have all been stung by the insects but they do not have enough money to have the insects professionally removed, KPRC-TV, Houston, reported Wednesday.

"You can see them outside of my little boy's room and they are coming in through a little hole. We have tried to fix the problem ourselves. ... We don't know what else to do," Parra said. "We've called the city of Houston, the fire department. ... No one has been able to do anything. Someone quoted me a price of $450, but we don't have that kind of money right now."

Claude Griffin of Gotcha Pest Control said the bees appeared to have been in the home for "more like 10 years."(UPI, 4/14/10.)

BEES STING WORKERS ON WILSHIRE, CLOSE DOWN MELROSE

LOS ANGELES, CA --- Workers opening the walls of a Wilshire Center apartment building struck a beehive, injuring six people and prompting the closure of a portion of Melrose Avenue.

The bee attack was reported at about 11:30 a.m. at the two-story apartment building at 4716 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Lauren deRosier said.

Six people suffered minor bee stings but did not need hospital treatment, deRosier said.

Melrose Avenue was closed between Ardmore Avenue and Kingsley Drive while the bees were removed.

"While we are determining what the fire department can do to help the building's tenants and nearby residents, the end result may be that the property owner will have to contact a beekeeper," deRosier said. (KCAL-TV 9 News, 4/14/10.)

CLIMATE KEEPS KILLER BEES FROM MOVING TO AUGUSTA
Garden City Beats Buzz

AUGUSTA, GA --- A "killer" that was expected to fly into Augusta about two years ago has been a no-show, and that has officials buzzing with joy.

"That is a very good thing," Columbia County Extension Agent Charles Phillips said.

The menace is a winged invader, officially dubbed the Africanized honey bee but best known as the killer bee. Individual bees don't have a lethal sting, but as a group they can be deadly because they swarm anyone who disturbs their home, stinging 10 times more than the European version.

About three years ago, Phillips and other officials were keying into the fact that "killer bees" were migrating through parts of the Southern United States, including Texas and Florida, and seemingly headed toward Georgia. At the time, it was believed the bees could be in the Augusta area by summer 2008, and a course was being planned to teach emergency officials how to deal with the bees.

Since then, Phillips said, he hasn't heard of any local reports of the bees, noting that for now the closest ones seem to be staying in south and central Florida.

Keith Delaplane, an entomology professor at the University of Georgia, said one reason for the lack of migration into Georgia seems to be the difference in seasonal variances in Georgia compared with Florida. He said Africanized bees like to stick around a steady food supply in an area that has year-round flowering. Once you cross a certain latitude out of a tropical region and into a more temperate zone, where food becomes scarce, he said, the bees don't adapt as well.

He said the bees arrived in Florida about five years ago and many figured at the time that they were on their way to Georgia.

"I think what five years of experience is showing us is Georgia pretty much lives on the right side of that latitude gradient," he said. "I think it gives us pretty good cause for some relief. I don't think we're going to see saturated Africanized bees in Georgia, and five years ago I didn't really know that."

Still, officials say they're keeping a cautious eye out and track migration reports yearly.

In the meantime, Phillips and members of the Columbia County 4-H Club have been focusing on another bee that is vitally important to the area and has been diminishing lately.

The European honey bees are less aggressive than the Africanized version and are important for pollination.

About a year-and-a-half ago, Phillips and 4-H Club members started a honey bee club to help preserve the bees.

"The honey bees have that colony collapse disorder," he said, noting that European honey bees have been susceptible to pesticides, parasites and virus problems.

Phillips said the honey bee club also is meant to get a new generation interested in the hobby of beekeeping.

Honey bees are now swarming as they scout out new homes. Phillips' extension office assists people who have swarms on their property.

He also distributes honey bees to 4-H members, and he sometimes helps deliver purchased bees, having done so recently for a Columbia County resident.

"Anything we can do to keep our honey bees around we encourage it," he said. (Preston Sparks, The Augusta Chronicle, 4/12/10. )

SWARM OF BEES ATTACK TWO GRAPELAND WOMEN, DOG AND HORSES

HOUSTON COUNTY, TX - Two Grapeland women, ages 17 and 20, were attacked by a swarm of bees while horse back riding Sunday shortly before noon on County Road 2010, according to authorities.

Grapeland Police Officer Larenzo Simpson said the attack happened when the women rode their horses under an Oak tree that contained a bee hive.

Simpson said a neighbor who spotted the attack tried to rescue the women, but he too, became a third victim.

"They [bees] attacked anything that moved, including the dog," said Simpson.

All three people were treated and released for bee stings at the Grapeland Fire station. Simpson said the horses and dog were treated and released as well. (Jena Johnson, KTRE-TV News 9, 4/11/10.)

MAN TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER BEE ATTACK

THE ACREAGE, FL --- A 76-year-old Acreage man was hospitalized after being stung by a swarm of bees outside his home this morning.

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Chief Steve Delai said that the man had sustained numerous bee stings upon the of arrival of rescue crews.

The injured man is Royston Osbourne of the 12300 block of 70th Place North, his wife Yvonne said.

Osbourne was taken to the hospital in serious condition, but Yvonne said tonight that his condition has improved to stable.

"The doctors said if it had been a few minutes more (it could have been more serious)," she said, speaking by phone from Palms West Hospital, where her husband was transported this morning.

Yvonne said that Royston was outside their home about 10:30 a.m., when he was attacked by the bee swarm. She said she was able to drag him inside, but he lost consciousness before paramedics arrived. Paramedics were able to revive and stabilize him before transporting him to the emergency room, Yvonne said.

"He was in the yard," she said. "He was outside and I don't know what made me go out there....I heard the scream and when I saw what was happening, I ran down there."

Yvonne, 66, also suffered and was treated for some bee stings. But she said her injuries weren't as severe and she was able to drive herself to the hospital. (Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer, 4/9/10.)

AFRICANIZED BEE ATTACKS ON RISE IN ARIZONA

PHOENIX, AZ -- Arizona fire officials and beekeepers say an outbreak of bee attacks in recent weeks is a result of an increased population of aggressive Africanized bees.

The increase has occurred because a large amount of rainfall meant flowers bloomed at a fast pace this year, The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday.

The most recent incident occurred Tuesday, when a swarm of bees attacked three workers preparing to demolish a Phoenix building, said Capt. Jonathan Jacobs of the Phoenix Fire Department.

Fire crews arrived at the scene to find a 54-year-old man on the ground, covered in bees. Firefighters sprayed him with foam and had him hospitalized.

Jacobs said fire crews so far this year responded to two or three bee calls per day. Between March 15 and last week, area fire crews responded to 16 calls related to swarming bees. There were 41 calls last year.

Bees usually don't bother or sting people, but may attack if they are annoyed by excessive noise or if people disturb their colony, said Montey McDaniel, owner of the Bee Man AZ in Sierra Vista.

Victims of a bee attack should run as quickly and as far away from the bees as possible. They should not flail, as that may further incite the bees, and victims should call 911 if a person has been stung by many bees simultaneously, or has an allergic reaction to a bee sting, newspaper reported. (UPI, 4/8/10.)

ARIZONA BEE SWARMS EXPECTED IN LARGER NUMBERS THIS YEAR

PHOENIX, AZ ---- Fire officials and beekeepers are seeing an increase in swarming bees this spring because of above-average rainfall and the spread of Africanized bees throughout Arizona.

The Phoenix Fire Department is urging residents to take precautions after a recent string of attacks over the past three weeks.

The most recent occurred Tuesday afternoon, when an angry swarm of bees attacked three workers as they demolished an old Sizzler restaurant in north Phoenix.

Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Jonathan Jacobs said the workers were outside preparing for the work when they encountered a bee hive. When fire crews arrived at 27th Avenue and Bell Road, they found a 54-year-old man on the ground, covered in bees. Firefighters sprayed him down with foam and he was hospitalized.

Jacobs said fire crews are now responding to two to three bee calls a day. Between March 15 and last week, Valley fire crews had responded to 16 calls involving swarming bees. There were 41 total calls last year.

An attack in mid-March sent two women to the hospital in critical condition after bees from a swarm of 10,000 insects attacked them. Another attack at a yard sale in Glendale March 27 sent five people to the hospital, including three adults, a 2-year-old and an infant. That incident forced dozens of people to flee indoors when the bees attacked, said Daniel Valenzuela, spokesman for the Glendale Fire Department.

As a result of the dangers, beekeepers and exterminators also are seeing a spike in calls to remove or look at suspected bee swarms and hives. Dan Nelsen, who removes hives for the Beekeeper in central Phoenix, said his company anticipates as many as 200 bee-removal calls on weekdays this spring.

Nelsen said bee swarms sometimes will leave on their own, so he cautions not to panic.

"When the queen gets tired, she'll rest in a tree and they'll all gather around her to protect her," Nelsen said. "When the queen's ready to fly off, they'll leave."

Due to this behavior, particularly among Africanized bees, Paul O'Neil, owner of Desert Sky Pest Control in Phoenix, believes bee swarms will increase across the state, as genes of the more aggressive Africanized bees are spread among the honey-bee population.

Africanized bees move their swarms from hive to hive about every six weeks. Honey-bee swarms move once a year when the hive grows too large, O'Neil said. Even though the Africanized bees generally do not stick around long, they tend to grow more swarms and appear in greater quantities when they move their swarms.

Montey McDaniel, owner of the Bee Man AZ in Sierra Vista, says the problem is expected to be particularly bad this spring due to the large amount of rainfall, which has caused flowers and plants to bloom at a fast pace.

McDaniel said bees are usually on a mission, however, and do not generally want to bother or sting people.

"Most bees, even Africanized bees, are not going to go out of their way to attack," McDaniel said.

However, if bees get disturbed near their colony, they can become aggressive. McDaniel said. A weed eater, a dog barking or someone banging things noisily in a shed could trigger a bee attack.

The Phoenix Fire Department advises in its safety guide to let experts handle and remove hives.

Anyone finding a bee colony or a hive should not try to handle it on their own, but call a beekeeper or exterminator.

Victims of a bee attack are instructed to run as quickly and as far away from the bees as possible. They should not flail or swing their arms, because that may further annoy the bees.

Fire officials advise calling 911 if someone has been stung by many bees at once, or has an allergic reaction to a bee sting. (Brittany Williams and Michael Ferraresi, The Arizona Republic, 4/7/10.)

VALLEY SEES INCREASE OF BEE ATTACKS

PHOENIX, AZ ---- Local firefighters have their hands full these days with bee-related calls.

A group of construction workers are the latest victims of a massive bee attack - the third attack in the valley during the last few weeks.

The three men were tearing down an old Sizzler restaurant near 29th Avenue and Bell when a swarm of bees began to attack them. One worker, a 54-year-old man, was stung more than 100 times. The other men were treated at the scene and firefighters used foam on the bees' hive.

FOX 10's Diane Ryan has the details on what you should do if you find yourself surrounded by bees. (4/7/10.)

FD: MAN SERIOUSLY HURT, CREWS STUNG IN PHOENIX BEE ATTACK

PHOENIX, AZ --- Several firefighters were stung and a man is in serious condition after a bee attack in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon.

Jonathan Jacobs with the Phoenix Fire Department said firefighters responded to the area of 29th Avenue and Bell Road around 1:30 p.m.

A construction crew was working at on old restaurant building when they reportedly came across a bee hive.

A 54-year-old man was transported to a local hospital in serious condition and a 38-year-old man was stung several times, but he refused treatment.

Several firefighters were stung when they arrived at the scene as they were trying to help the 54-year-old.

A bee keeper has been called in to remove the bee hive. (Katrina Wessman, KNXV-TV ABC News 15, 4/6/10.)

WORKERS TAKING DOWN BUILDING ATTACKED BY BEES

PHOENIX, AZ --- Three workers taking down an old Sizzler restaurant in north Phoenix were attacked by an angry swarm of bees Tuesday afternoon.

Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Jonathan Jacobs said the workers were outside preparing the building for demolition when they encountered a bee hive.

Fire crews arrived on the scene near 27th Avenue and Bell Road and found a 54-year-old man on the ground, covered in bees. Firefighters sprayed him down with foam. He was transported to a nearby hospital.

Two other men were also stung, but refused treatment.

Jacobs said fire crews are responding to two to three bee calls a day. (Associated Press, 4/6/10.)

FD: MAN SERIOUSLY HURT, CREWS STUNG IN PHOENIX BEE ATTACK

PHOENIX, AZ --- Several firefighters were stung and a man is in serious condition after a bee attack in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon.

Jonathan Jacobs with the Phoenix Fire Department said firefighters responded to the area of 29th Avenue and Bell Road around 1:30 p.m.

A construction crew was working at on old restaurant building when they reportedly came across a bee hive.

A 54-year-old man was transported to a local hospital in serious condition and a 38-year-old man was stung several times, but he refused treatment.

Several firefighters were stung when they arrived at the scene as they were trying to help the 54-year-old.

A bee keeper has been called in to remove the bee hive. (Katrina Wessman, KNXV-TV ABC News 15, 4/6/10.)

DOZENS FLEE AS 'AGGRESSIVE' BEES SWARM GLENDALE YARD SALE

An infant was transported to the hospital as a precaution

GLENDALE, AZ -- Dozens of people were forced to flee inside when a swarm of bees attacked at a Glendale yard sale Saturday afternoon.

Glendale Fire Department spokesman Daniel Valenzuela said approximately 30 to 40 people were at the home, near 68th and Glendale avenues, when a swarm of bees became agitated and began to attack them.

The people apparently ran into the house and garage and called 911.

Witnesses said the bees were in their hair and very aggressive.

Valenzuela said several people were transported to the hospital; three adult were stung multiple times and a child and an infant were stung once each and transported as a precaution.

Firefighters foamed down the hive which was found in an old tire in an adjacent yard.(Deborah Stocks, KNXV-TV News 15, 3/27/10)

EXPERT: VACANT HOUSES WORSEN BEE PROBLEMS

PHOENIX, AZ -- Bees are swarming the Valley, and the state's foreclosure crisis may be making the problem worse, experts said.

Within the past week, there have been two attacks on people.

Lance Neveleff with Adkins Bee Removal said his phone has been ringing off the hook for bee removal service recently.

"They're all over the place right now," Neveleff said. "Everything is blooming and the bees that have been struggling out in the desert. This is like a shot in the arm to them."

Besides all the rain, the surplus of vacant houses across the Valley is contributing to bees' population boom, Neveleff said. The houses can easily be a breeding ground for hives.

"There's no one (in a vacant home) to monitor any kind of strange activity, which means it creates the perfect breeding ground," he said.

Once they're in, it takes a professional to get them out.

Neveleff said it doesn't take a lot of space for the insects to make their way inside.

"They need a very, very small hole, probably as big as a bee's body," Neveleff said. "They're coming in two or three at a time, and every millimeter of the area in there is comb that they just build around."

Neveleff said once the bees are done building in the vacant house, they can easily move into an occupied home next door.

"(The hives) get so large," he said. "There are a lot of scout bees, and they'll go around and look for other places -- especially when they start running out of room."

Neveleff said it's important to get the hives and honey out as quickly as possible, otherwise the moisture from the hives and honey could cause the dry wall and stucco to rot, which are expensive to fix.

He recommended homeowners seal any cracks or crevices as soon as possible. (KPHO-TV 5 News, 3/25/10.)

MAN FEELS STING OF BEE INFESTATION

LAS CRUCES, NM -- Mark Sproat is one landlord you can really feel sorry for.

Over the last 12 years, the neighborhood has lost count of how many times the tenants on his property have been evicted. They bother the retirees on their evening walks, the children walking home from Hillrise Elementary a quarter mile away and even the Girl Scouts.

And if they decide Sproat's a threat, they could very well kill him.

They're aggressive honey bees living in a Qwest utility box on the corner of his property on Missouri Avenue.

"The problem is they keep leaving it open. They need to seal it," said Sproat, an environmental scientist who has to carry an "epi pen," a spring-loaded needle full of epinephrine, just to go near the cracked utility boxes, surrounded by an overflowing rosemary bush whose lavender flowers the bees flit among during the day. "If they leave it open, they're just going to come back. You'd think they'd be tired of coming back every couple months."

Sproat's called Qwest and city codes enforcement three times about the bees over the three year's he's lived at the home, but no one can quite figure out who's responsibility it is. Bees can be killed by spraying them with soapy water, which suffocates them, "but I obviously can't spray soapy water in an electrical panel," he said.

Spring and fall are the times when bees expand their populations in overturned pots and anything else with an entrance and a space to hide out.

Sproat's worried a pedestrian -- especially one who might be allergic -- will swat at one of the pests, thinking it's a fly, which provokes a hive-wide attack at the perceived threat.

"The last time I was stung, I was rather young and had a systemic reaction," Sproat said. "That can be a rash or itch or a metallic, rubbery taste in the mouth or your throat swelling up ... I got bit on my pinkie. My whole hand swelled up like a baseball glove, with no space between my fingers. It was grotesque, whiter than white, almost opaque. I went to my mom, a nurse, and said, Is this normal?' and she rushed me to the hospital."

The neighborhood's fight with the bees long predates Sproat, he learned Wednesday.

"We've lived here for 12 years and it's been here the whole time," said neighbor Erica Whiteside, who said conventional pesticides have failed to eradicate them. "My dad, one time, he tried to put a black trash bag over it and tried to bomb them out. You see people walking by and then they see (the hive) and they walk all the way around."

County director of codes enforcement Curtis Childress said usually bees would be a pest-control issue a property owner would have to call a beekeeper or exterminator about, but that it would be in Qwest's interest to seal the box once and for all.

"I had some in my horse trailer. They'd worked their way in there and I used some regular bee-killer the phone company had -- they carry it with them," Childress said. "Unfortunately, you see (unsealed boxes) all over the place, where someone's run into them and they're damaged. Really, what needs to be done is (an exterminator) needs to spray the bees to kill the bees. Remove the nest, don't leave them a nest for the next family. And then, they need to seal the box."

Upon discovery of a swarm or hive ...

- Wait and see. If no hive is visible, consider waiting a day or two to see if the swarm moves on. Bees are less active in the early morning and evening, so wait until just before sunset or after sunrise to check things out.

- Wear light-colored clothing. Bees tend to become aggressively agitated by dark things.

- Bees are sensitive to odors. Avoid wearing floral or citrus aftershaves or perfumes.

- Keep family members and pets at least 10 feet away.

- Call a beekeeper or an exterminator.

Preventing bees from colonizing

- Check your house and yard at least once a month to see if there are any signs of bees taking up residence.

- Fill all cracks and crevices in walls with steel wool and caulk. Seal off attics and crawl spaces

- Remove piles of refuse. Africanized honeybees are not as picky about where they make their homes as European honeybees. They will nest in cement blocks, old tires, mailboxes, even old soda cans or overturned flowerpots.

- Use blue paint. Bees avoid blue because they confuse it with the sky and refuse to land on it. (Ashley Meeks, Las Cruces Sun-News, 3/25/10.)

MORE AFRICANIZED BEES FOUND IN SOUTHERN UTAH
More Africanized bees found in southern Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, UT --- About 100 colonies of Africanized honey bees have been found in southern Utah in the year since the bees' arrival was announced. Scientists now are developing models based on climate data and satellite images to predict whether the bees might eventually spread to other parts of the state. The latest finds don't necessarily mean the bees are spreading rapidly, said Danielle Downey, bee program coordinator for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. More than likely, the increase is mostly because crews are looking harder for the bees and getting more reports from citizens.

Hives have been spotted in trees, the eaves of houses, abandoned grain silos and even broken-down farm equipment.

"I think they've been here for several years already," Downey said. "I'm guessing they've been under the radar."

That changed in February 2009, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed seven hives of Africanized bees, which are sometimes called "killer bees."

The development was expected by entomologists who had watched the bees move across the South and Southwest. Still, among citizens, it raised eyebrows from some worried the bees might spread quickly and hurt people, pets and livestock.

So far, though, the bees have been found in just three Utah counties -- Iron, Washington and Kane -- and Downey knows of only one man who was attacked in the state. He survived multiple stings.

Hives that show up in urban areas like St. George and Cedar City are often dealt with quickly. Elsewhere, such as the rural Iron County area known as Beryl Junction, the bees have thrived by finding little-used structures to hole up and survive the winter.

"Probably the biggest reason they've done well is because there are a lot of abandoned structures and equipment in that area that no one is really accountable for," Downey said.

In Utah, agriculture officials are watching to see if the bees might eventually move north.

The officials will get help from federal scientists who are merging satellite images with climate and vegetation data -- especially for nectar-producing plants -- in the hopes of predicting areas where Africanized bees are likely to show up next.

"Utah is of great interest because it's right on the border" of where Africanized bees might be expected, said Wayne Esaias, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

While Africanized bees can show up nearly anywhere in the summer after hitching a ride with others bees being transported, the question is whether they'll find suitable conditions to survive the winter and form a wild population, he said.

The models aren't developed enough to make any solid predictions, though there's suspicion that other parts of Utah could be suitable for Africanized bees. Still, researchers hope the models will eventually give state officials an early warning so they can prepare ahead of the bees' arrival.

Africanized bees are the result of interbreeding between European honey bees and bees from Africa. They were inadvertently released in Brazil in the 1950s. They were first spotted in Texas in 1990 and have since been found in several other states, including California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada.

Although Africanized bees look like European honey bees, they tend to get irritated faster, respond with more firepower and stay mad longer than other bees. Their stings aren't more dangerous than other bees but they can be more aggressive.

Africanized bees also leave their colonies to start new nests more frequently that European bees.

State officials caution, though, against an all-out war against bees in Utah, whose state emblem is the beehive.

Honey bees that pollinate fruit, vegetables and crops remain an important part of Utah's $1.5 billion agriculture economy, according to state officials.

They urge homeowners, farmers and ranchers to learn more about how to deal with Africanized bees without jeopardizing their European cousins. (Mike Stark, Associated Press Writer, 3/24/10.)

BEE SWARM LOCKS DOWN NEIGHBORHOOD
Homeowner Removing Hive From Wood Pile Stung Several Times

PHOENIX, AZ -- A swarm of bees went on the attack Wednesday afternoon, prompting firefighters to warn dozens of residents to stay in their homes.

The woman found the bees making their home among a stack of wood in her backyard near 7th Avenue and Bell Road and attempted to remove the hive on her own, firefighters said.

The homeowner called a couple of friends over to help her with the bees, said Deputy Chief Frank Solomon of the Phoenix Fire Department. Solomon said the friends put plastic bags over their head and tried to remove the bees from the wood stack.

The bees got agitated and stung the homeowner on the hand several times and one of her friends on the head at least five times, Solomon said. Realizing she could not handle the situation on her own, the homeowner called 911.

Solomon said when firefighters arrived, the bees swarmed their fire truck, forcing them to put on protective gear before getting out of the truck and rushing to the victims.

The swarm was erratic and firefighters asked that the reverse 911 system be used. Solomon said 57 homes in the direct area were called and told in English and Spanish to stay inside their homes because of a nearby bee problem.

Firefighters called in a beekeeper at the homeowner's expense. Together, the beekeeper and the fire department killed the bees and removed the hive.

The homeowner did not need medical attention. Her friend was taken to the hospital as a precaution and released a couple of hours later.

Solomon said this is a perfect example of why homeowners should never try to deal with a beehive on their own. (KPHO-TV 5 News, 3/24/10.)

BEE ATTACK HURTS ONE; FORCES PHOENIX RESIDENTS INSIDE

PHOENIX, AZ --- Aggressive bees stung at least one person multiple times near 11th Avenue and Bell Road in north Phoenix and forced neighbors in the surrounding area to remain indoors Wednesday.

The hive was apparently located in a wood pile at a home on Danbury Drive. It is unknown what disturbed the hive, but the bees attacked two people. One was treated at the scene and then transported to a local hospital, said Deputy Chief Frank Salomon, spokesman for the Phoenix Fire Department. The other person was not seriously hurt.

Firefighters had a difficult time killing the bees with foam because the insects were moving quickly through the neighborhood. Firefighters used what is called a reverse 911, asking residents to stay indoors until the hive was under control.

Residents remained inside for at least 45 minutes before firefighters located the hive and a beekeeper was able to stop the bees, Salomon said.

It was unknown how many times the victim was stung. The hive was said to be fairly large. (Allison Hurtado, The Arizona Republic, 3/24/10.)

THREE ATTACKED BY SWARM OF BEES

GREEN VALLEY, AZ --- Bees attacked three people in a car in Green Valley today and all three are lucky to be okay.

The attack happened as the car carrying the three people stopped at 200 West Aliso Drive.

Pauline Kleiner says she and her son were on their way to the store when a bee flew into their car window.

"Oh, there's a bee in the car. I just threw it out," said Pauline.

"Well, when I did that, more bees came in, so it was flooded with bees, so I jumped out of the car. I ran in front of the car and down the sidewalk with the bees chasing me."

Pauline made it to her house and was stung about a dozen times.

Her son got twice as many stings, but he is okay.

It turns out that a pest control worker, who also was stung, had been trying to remove a swarm when the bees became very agitated and took off after Pauline and her son.

Green Valley firefighters says Pauline and her son did the right thing by running in a straight line and getting into a building. (Leasa Conze , KOLD-TV, 3/23/10.)

BEES STING 3 IN GREEN VALLEY

GREEN VALLEY, AZ --- Pauline Kleiner saw one bee in her car, fanned it with her hand to chase it out the window and in an instant found her car filled with angry, aggressive bees.

"He must have called his army, because they all came. Then I jumped out of the car," Kleiner said.

She ran down La Canada Drive, away from Aliso Drive. Her car sat a few yards away from a gigantic beehive in a tree on the southeastern corner of the intersection.

Kleiner's son Perry also jumped out of the car, and called 9-1-1, as he saw his mother being stung a half-dozen times. Perry took several dozen bee stings himself.

The bees were in an aggressive mood because they were trying to defend a hive from pest control workers who were attempting to cut it down, Green Valley Fire District Capt. Tom Louis said.

One of the pest control workers was stung several dozen times, but all three bee-sting victims were treated on the scene, Louis said. No one was hospitalized.

Kleiner said the hive, which was high in a tree and shrouded by mistletoe, was "as big as my dining room table" and Louis didn't disagree, saying the hive was "easily several feet across."

Kleiner said she was running so hard she never stopped to see how many bees there were, but Louis said the pest control workers estimated there were 40,000 bees in the hive.

Kleiner said she ran as fast as she could, but at 73, she didn't think she could outrace the bees long enough to reach a Circle K up the street.

Fearing that she might be allergic to bee stings, Kleiner turned and headed back right through the bee cloud, toward her home in Pueblo Estates, where she knew she had some anti-allergy medication. She passed her own car and was picked up by a real estate agent in a car who drove her home. By that time, firefighters were on the scene to help with treatment.

"Thank God I'm not allergic to bees," Kleiner said.

Dealing with bees

Louis offered these tips for dealing with bees: Do run away. Head for a structure or car, because most people can outrun bees. Don't swat at bees, that makes them angrier. For anyone going outdoors, wear light-colored clothing and do not wear cologne or perfume, as fragrances attract bees.

If you are allergic to bee stings, carry an epi-pen outdoors so you can quickly administer epinephrine. After being stung, don't pinch the stinger, as that will drive the venom further in to your system. Instead, scrape it with a credit card. Call 9-1-1- because if the victim is allergic to bee stings, he or she will need medical attention.

Finding the hive

The hive came to light about a week ago, when the Pueblo Estates HOA's landscaping contractor mistakenly began working around the tree, which is actually on a Pima County easement, and one of the employees was stung multiple times, HOA president Albert LePage said. LePage called Tom Ward, the local representative of Pima County Board member Ray Carroll, and the county hired Essential Pest Management to cut down the hive.

Eric Ruden, owner of Essential Pest Management, said the hive was cut down and the bees were killed, and a technician would return Wednesday to check on the tree. He said the bees were defending the hive, and were not swarming.

Swarms typically occur this time of year when a community of bees divides and part of the group moves out in search of another home. Swarms often rest for the night in a tree, and can become easily alarmed, but in this case the bees were part of an established hive, Ruden said. (Philip Franchine, Green Valley News, 3/23/10.)

PHOENIX FIRE DEPARTMENT ON ALERT FOR SWARMING BEES

PHOENIX, AZ --- Heavy winter rains followed by warm temperatures could trigger more emergency calls in Phoenix as firefighters and insect-removal companies expect to see an increase in swarming bees.

The Phoenix Fire Department issued safety warnings last week, one day after two women were severely injured when a swarm of thousands of bees attacked them near Third Avenue and Bell Road.

The women, believed to be in their 60s, were taken to an area hospital in critical condition after the swarm - estimated at 10,000 or more bees - attacked the women as they walked on a sidewalk, according to Phoenix Fire spokesman Capt. Scott Walker.

Dan Nelsen, who removes hives for The Beekeeper in central Phoenix, said his company anticipates getting called out on as many as 200 bee-removal calls on weekdays this spring.

Nelsen cautioned residents to avoid removing bee hives without professional help. He added that residents should avoid making hasty decisions to call experts with bees swarming around trees on their property, because some swarms will disappear on their own.

"When the queen gets tired, she'll rest in a tree and they'll all gather around her to protect her," Nelsen said. "When the queen's ready to fly off, they'll leave."

Nelsen also cautioned that bee behavior is unpredictable, so residents should beware - especially with pets or small children outdoors.

5 BEE SAFETY TIPS

1 Check your property regularly for bees, which tend to nest in places like animal burrows, water-meter boxes, overturned flower pots and awnings.

2 Keep pets and children indoors or under close watch when using weed-cutters, hedge clippers, power mowers and other devices that might agitate bees. Many attacks happen during noisy yard work or when crews stumble upon hidden hives.

3 Watch your trees. After laying its eggs and hatching a swarm, the queen bee can attract thousands of her minions to the spot where she rests.

4 Let the experts handle it. Removing a hive is dangerous. Multiple bee stings can be painful or lead to a hospital visit. Experts also warn against destroying bees unnecessarily, since they pollinate crops and add to an estimated $10 billion in value to 90 types of crops in the U.S.

5 If you spot a hive, avoid excessive motion. Bees are more likely to aggressively react to an object in motion than one that's stationary.

IF YOU'RE ATTACKED

* Run as fast as you can. Try to avoid flailing or swinging your arms, since the added motion could make the bees more aggressive.

* Cover your head and eyes, but avoid slowing your escape.

* Call the Fire Department only if medical services are needed, or if you have an allergic reaction to the stings.

How to treat stings

* Bee stingers can be removed by gently scraping against them with your fingernail, a credit card or a knife. Be careful not to squeeze the stinger. Pressing it deeper into the skin could release additional venom.

* Use a cold compress to relive pain and swelling, but avoid applying ice directly to the area.

* Call 911 if you suffer any difficulty breathing. Call a doctor if symptoms of an allergic reaction persist beyond a day or two. Source: Phoenix Fire Department. (Michael Ferraresi, The Arizona Republic, 3/22/10.)

2 RIVIERA HORSES DIE FOLLOWING BEE ATTACK

RIVIERA, TX --- Two horses died as a result of an attack by Africanized bees in Riviera on March 13.

The owner of the mares would like some kind of policy or procedure to be established during an emergency situation like this one.

"This should not have happened; there is a big break down in the system," said Gloria Saenz Rodriguez.

Rodriguez and her husband owned the horses that were on her mother-in-law's property on the north side of Riviera. She said her brother-in-law called 911 four times that Saturday morning and did talk to someone, but no one came to help them.

Then the Kleberg County Sheriff's Department notified the Ricardo Fire Department, which went to the scene 40 minutes later. One of the horses jumped two fences trying to get away from the bees and the other one was found three houses down the way.

Firemen sprayed the horses, but the animals succumbed to the thousand of bees that attacked them.

Rodriquez said her mother-in-law contacted Kleberg County Precinct 3 Commissioner Roy Cantu and his foreman.

They asked the foreman, who was in Kingsville, for assistance.

"We are not equipped to handle bees that are swarming," Cantu said.

He explained that according to the health department they are not supposed to get on private property based on state laws.

"Usually, the fire department handles that type of emergency," Cantu said. He added that he went out to the property that day while the firemen were in the process of spraying the horses.

"My husband and I lost our mares that were a part of our family and something needs to be in place because accidents do not happen from 9 to 5 p.m." Rodriguez said.

She emphasized there needs to be communication between all departments and people need to know who is responsible for helping in emergency situations. A procedure or policy should have already been established for emergencies a long time ago, according to her.

"Why and how is this going to get fixed," Rodriguez, who is teacher, said.

Cantu agreed with Rodriguez that a written policy needs to be in place.

Rodriguez and her husband buried their mares, Brandy, 13 years old and Starla, 7 years old that night. (Gloria Bigger-Cantu, The Kingsville Record, 3/20/10.)

ARIZONA KILLER BEE ATTACK LEAVES 4 PEOPLE INJURED
Experts: Bee Hot Zones Buzz With Danger

PHOENIX, AZ --- Bees are a big problem across the Valley and this year could be one of the worst ever, according to pest professionals.

John Schmidt discovered a bee hive behind his north Phoenix home Friday morning.

"It seems like every year we see more and more bees," Schmidt said. "They are definitely more aggressive."

Schmidt waisted no time calling for help. He brought in a pest professional to suit up and spray down the hive. He wanted to destroy it before it got bigger and the bees more aggressive.

Sage Garvey with Burns Pest Elimination has mapped out the bee hot spots around the Valley.

He said we are just now getting into prime bee season.

"Once we start getting up to 75 degrees and above we start seeing more activity," Garvey said. "We see these swarms come through the Valley with lots of balls of bees moving through. It's the warm weather that triggers it."

Thursday night, a swarm of killer bees attacked at least four people in north Phoenix, leaving two women who were stung more than 100 times each in critical condition, firefighters said.

Here's a look at the Valley's bee hot zones, according to Garvey. They are the places where bees traditionally create the most problems.

In the far east Valley, activity is highest in Apache Junction, Mesa, Queen Creek and Chandler. Another hot zone is in Tempe, north of US 60. Bees are also active in sections of Scottsdale and Fountain Hills.

In north Phoenix, the hot zones are near Cave Creek and Carefree, and there are bee problems in far west Valley around Buckeye.

Schmidt is just happy he found the hive behind his house, before the bees went after his wife and kids.

"You just have to bring in the professionals and take care of it," said Schmidt.

The experts have some advice to avoid becoming a bee attack victim. Pay close attention to trees and shrubs around your home. Clean up any fruit that may have fallen from trees. If you see a cluster of bees, call a pest professional. Do not try and solve the problem on your own. (Jason Barry, KPHO-TV 5 News, 3/20/10.)

BEES SWARM 2 PHOENIX WOMEN OUT FOR EVENING WALK

PHOENIX, AZ --- Two women in Phoenix are in critical condition with hundreds of bee stings after a swarm attacked them while they were out for an evening walk.

A witness tells KTVK-TV she heard screaming Thursday evening and saw the women lying in the street covered in bees from head to toe. A man jumped in to help and was also stung.

All three were hospitalized, and the two women first attacked are in critical condition.

Phoenix firefighters searched for the hive and eventually found it and took it down.

Officials warn people to stay away from bee swarms and avoid loud noises or wild movements that may disturb the bees. (Associated Press, 3/19/10.)

BEES KILL DOG IN MIAMI GARDENS

MIAMI GARDENS, FL --- A South Florida family was mourning the loss of their dog Friday, but experts say they could've died too if the bees would have attacked them.

Brenda Williams doesn't have children, just two dogs.

"I talk about my dog everyday, everyday, and now this," Williams told CBS4's Gio Benitez.

But Friday, one of them lay dead in her front yard. Africanized bees living deep inside a tree in her backyard attacked the dog just before noon.

"I had everything done to him, and now I have to see my dog get taken out by bees? It's unbelievable," said Williams. "The bees gone wild! They really went on attack. Me, my husband, the dogs, everybody," she said.

Her husband, George, was cutting the trees. The sound of the chainsaw apparently made the bees aggressive, and in just a few minutes, he was on the run.

"They bit me everywhere. I got bites all over the place, I had to strip naked, the bees were all over me," said George.

But the killer bees completely covered the dog's head, and killed it.

"I couldn't just run out there like I'm Superman, I might have been like my dog or in the hospital," said Williams.

And she worries others in the neighborhood could have been hurt if she hadn't called expert bee remover Adrian Valero, who says he only sees Africanized bees once every three or four months.

The bees are rare, but even so, Valero says 60,000 of them were living inside the Williams tree, and he couldn't kill all of them.

For Brenda Williams, those are just numbers. What she cares about is lying lifeless in her front yard.

"This is the worst day. I've had some bad days, but this day here takes the cake. It's the worst day of my life," she said.

So what if this happens to you? Experts say, don't swat at the bees, because if you do, that'll make them even angrier. Just go inside, and call Animal Control at 305-884-1101 or 954-359-1313. (Gio Benitez, WFOR-TV 4, 3/19/10.)

BEES ATTACK AND KILL DOG

MIAMI GARDENS, FL -- A South Florida family is suffering a heart-breaking loss after a deadly swarm of bees took the life of their beloved pet.

A group of killer bees attacked a 5-year-old shepard-mix named Sox at around noon Friday, outside of the Williams' home.

George Williams' eyes and mouth are swollen after suffering over a dozen bee stings from Africanized killer bees that swarmed and killed his 70-pound dog. George was trimming the tree in the backyard, but he got too close to the colony where more than 70,000 Africanized bees lived. "He went back to this tree where we discovered the biggest bee hive in the world, and they told us they are African Bees," said Debra.

George and his other dog escaped with their lives, but Sox died in the vicious attack that came without warning. "One dog was covered in bees, the other dog I got him loose. It was all I could take before I had to get out of there. I wound up naked in my front yard," George said. "I was like, what the hell, and I just took my clothes off. They tried to get in my eyes, my ears, everywhere.

"What if those bees would have attacked a little child," he questioned.

Bee expert Adrian Valero was called in to kill the hive. He said, without a doubt they were killer bees. Valero said he treats a few Africanized hives a month throughout South Florida.

The Williams said they knew all along the bees were not your average honey bees. "Those bees are aggressive, man, and they have been here since I got here. I called people about them before," revealed George.

The bee keeper said he thinks he killed about 50,000 bees, but he believes the worker bees are still swarming around and will return sometime later tonight. He warned residents to keep a can of wasp spray and be prepared to attack. (WSVN TV News 7, 3/19/10.)

FD: 2 CRITICAL, STUNG MORE THAN 1,000 TIMES BY SWARM OF BEES

PHOENIX -- Three people are in Valley hospitals after they were stung by a swarm of bees Thursday night.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Scott Walker said two women were walking in front of an apartment near 3rd Avenue and Bell Road when they were attacked.

The women were transported to a Valley hospital in critical condition.

"They had bees all over them," said Phoenix Fire Captain Bill Rini. "They were stung at least 1,000 times I believe."

First responders said a man in a pickup truck stopped to help and used a fire extinguisher on the bees. He was also stung dozens of times and transported to a Phoenix hospital in stable condition.

"It looked like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. They were covered, I mean covered in bees, you couldn't see their face or their skin," said Tony Garcia, another good samaritan who tried to help the women.

When firefighters arrived they were quickly covered in bees themselves. Walker said the crews used foam on the bees attacking the women.

Firefighters found the hive in the eave of a nearby apartment.

Nearby residents told ABC15 children had been throwing rocks at the hive and may have angered the bees which then turned on the two women who were passing by on the sidewalk.

"The other guy was getting stung so he handed me the fire extinguisher and I was trying to get the bees to stop. It was something else, they (the women) had bees in their hair, ears, just all over," said Garcia.

Walker said this is a busy time for bees with the warm weather, extra vegetation from recent rains and the life cycle of the bees themselves.

He said typically beekeepers get approximately 20 calls per day, but right now are fielding up to 200 calls per day.

Calls to 911 have also increased recently, Walker said. (Reported first by Deborah Stocks, follow-up by Christopher Sign, ABC-TV 15 News, 3/18 /10.)

WOMEN ATTACKED BY HUNDREDS OF BEES IN PHOENIX

PHOENIX -- Two women were severely injured after several hundred, possibly thousands, of bees attacked them on a Phoenix sidewalk Thursday evening.

The women, thought to be in their 60s, were on the sidewalk of 3rd Avenue near Bell Road when they were attacked by a huge swarm of bees at about 7 p.m., said Scott Walker of the Phoenix Fire Department.

When fire crews arrived, a bystander was trying to help the women by foaming the bees with a fire extinguisher, but he had little success, Walker said. The bystander was also stung several times.

Fire fighters were able to free the women, who were then taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

The bystander was also taken to the hospitals, and he is stable.

Fire crews later located and killed the rest of the swarm of bees in the eave of a nearby apartment building.

Walker said it was unknown why the women were attacked, but that it is the beginning of bee season and they are very active right now. (Jolie McCullough, The Arizona Republic, 3/18/10.)

MASSIVE SWARM OF BEES ATTACKS MESA NEIGHBORHOOD

MESA, AZ -- A swarm of bees attacked a Mesa neighborhood Sunday night, leaving three dogs who were outside at the time with more than 100 bee stings.

The dogs' owner, Jennifer Shelton, says she knew something was wrong when she heard her dogs yelping in the backyard but it wasn't the noise they typically make when they want to come back inside.

"My husband went to look and there were swarms of bees all over the backyard," said Shelton.

Shelton and her husband tried to go outside to help but couldn't because of all the bees so they called the Mesa Fire Department.

"My babies were getting attacked and there was nothing I could do," said Shelton. "It was the most helpless feeling to know I couldn't get out there to save them."

The Mesa Fire Department quarantined Shelton's block, instructing people to stay in their homes until a beekeeper could come out and find the hive.

"The bees were swarming people's heads, there were bees everywhere," said neighbor Stephen Petronsky. "You could hear dogs yelping. It was pretty bad."

Shelton and her husband eventually managed to get all three dogs inside the house but not before the bees stung her oldest dog, Dutchess, more than 100 times.

"I was scared, freaking out, they're just like my children," admitted Shelton.

The beekeeper eventually located and removed the hive.

As for Shelton and her family, the ordeal left them scared but thankful it wasn't worse.

"I'm grateful my children weren't outside at the time or me and my husband," said Shelton. (Tim Vetscher, ABC-TV 15 News, 3/14/10.)

BEES ATTACK WOMAN

DONNA, TX ---- Bees attacked a Donna woman, as she was getting her mail. That's according to witnesses.

We're told the woman fell and bees stung her several times. Two people who tried to help were also stung.

The woman was rushed to the hospital. The two others weren't seriously hurt.

Investigators say the bees most likely came from a nearby orchard. Firefighters tell us exterminators will take out the beehive.(KRGV-TV News 5, 3/12/10.)

RISING VALLEY TEMPERATURES BRING BEES OUT OF HIDING

AHWATUKEE, AZ -- Experts say that as Valley temperatures climb, bees become more active, which can lead to attacks.

"There were a lot of bees swarming around that pipe thing," said Ahwatukee resident Evelyne Decker.

Sights like bees swarming are becoming more and more common around the Valley.

"It's that time of year where they are more active," said Dave Corey with City Wide Pest Control.

It's the warmer temperatures and the blossoming flowers that bring them out and it keeps exterminators like Corey busy.

"During the summer we'll get five or six (calls) a day sometimes," said Corey.

The hive he was taking care of on Thursday was found in a water meter and the neighborhood wanted it gone fast.

"There's a bunch of kids that get off here at the school bus stop," Decker explained.

Apparently, those same kids discovered the hive on Wednesday when they pulled the lid off the water meter. But they didn't stop there. Neighbors say the kids were also throwing rocks at the hive.

"So I'd say they were pretty lucky not to have gotten stung," said Decker.

Now the neighborhood doesn't need to worry anymore. The hive is gone.

But they might not have even become a problem, according to Corey.

"Most bees are pretty docile, they're not going to hurt you, but if you start messing with their hive, they get protective," he said.(ABC News-15, Jay Reynolds, 3/11/10.)

BEES ATTACK MID-TOWN MEN AND DOGS

TUCSON, AZ -- A midtown man and his dogs are nursing their wounds after a swarm of bees attacked them Sunday.

Around 3:30pm, a neighbor heard the man yelling for help, near 13th and Venice. The neighbor used a water hose to spray the bees, which then stung him.

He says the bees finally left after firefighters sprayed them with chemicals.

The injuries are not serious. (Teresa Jun, KOLD 13 News, 2/21/10.)

TWO MAIL CARRIERS ATTACKED BY BEES

PHOENIX, AZ --- Two mail carriers were attacked by a swarm of bees as they delivered mail Friday afternoon near 59th Avenue and Bell Road, officials said.

The Phoenix Fire Department responded to a call that a mail carrier had been stung multiple times by bees near 59th Avenue and Aire Libre. When firefighters arrived, they discovered two mail carriers, a man and a woman, had been attacked as they delivered mail to a community mail box.

They were taken to an area hospital for treatment, said Scott Walker, spokesman for Phoenix Fire Department.

Residents in the area were asked to stay indoors while firefighters searched for the hive. About 20 minutes later, the hive was found and firefighters used foam to kill the bees because they had attacked.

Once the hive was taken care of, residents were told it was OK to leave their homes, Walker said. (Allison Hurtado, The Arizona Republic, 2/19/10.)

NORTH PHOENIX NEWS
FD: 2 MAIL CARRIERS STUNG IN NORTH PHOENIX BEE ATTACK

2 MAIL CARRIERS WERE STUNG IN THE ATTACK

PHOENIX, AZ -- Fire officials say two mail carriers stung by bees have been transported to a Valley hospital.

Phoenix fire spokesman Scott Walker said the male and female postal workers were stung by a swarm of bees when they walked up to a community mailbox near 59th Street and Bell Road around noon Friday.

Fire Captain Joel Navarro said as one worker was being stung, the other came to help and was also stung.

Walker said each was stung multiple times and that their injuries are not serious.

They were transported to Mayo Hospital for treatment.

Firefighters went door-to-door warning nearby residents to stay indoors while the hive was located.

Crews located the swarm and applied foam to the hive; a bee keeper was called in to extinguish the swarm, according to Walker.

Residents were allowed to leave their homes once the swarm was brought under control. (Deborah Stocks, ABC 15.COM, 2/19/10.)

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