2 Menifee CA horses killed by bee attack remembered

Two male Tennessee Walkers were recently killed in an attack by killer bees in Riverside County, and two caretakers say it was one of the hardest things with which they've had to deal.

"And it was just covered," said Cherie Linnemeyer of one of the horses.  She lives on the Menifee ranch where the attack by an Africanized strain of honey bees occurred June 21.

"Its mane had bees all stuck in its hair," she said.  "It was going into shock and you could tell it was in a lot of pain."

One of the horses died right away, the other a few hours later.

"If you rubbed your hand against his skin, it was just bumps on top of bumps, and you could feel the stingers were still there," Linnemeyer said.

Both horses' ears, mouths, eyes, and bodies were completely swollen from the attack, according to Linnemeyer.

"It was absolutely heartbreaking," she said. "It was awful."

Following the attack, an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 bees were discovered in two nearby hives; one in a nearby tree, the other in a nearby barn.

Another witness to the attack, Sierra Linnemeyer, said that the horses were completely covered with the insects.

"You couldn't tell what color they were, they were so covered [in bees]," said Sierra Linnemeyer.

Sierra says she lay with one of the dying horses after the attack, despite the stings she received to her arms and legs.

"I went down there and put his head in my lap as he was passing away so he wouldn't be alone," she said.

Two male Tennessee Walkers were recently killed in an attack by killer bees in Riverside County, and two caretakers say it was one of the hardest things with which they've had to deal.

"And it was just covered," said Cherie Linnemeyer of one of the horses.  She lives on the Menifee ranch where the attack by an Africanized strain of honey bees occurred June 21.

"Its mane had bees all stuck in its hair," she said.  "It was going into shock and you could tell it was in a lot of pain."

One of the horses died right away, the other a few hours later.

"If you rubbed your hand against his skin, it was just bumps on top of bumps, and you could feel the stingers were still there," Linnemeyer said.

Both horses' ears, mouths, eyes, and bodies were completely swollen from the attack, according to Linnemeyer.

"It was absolutely heartbreaking," she said. "It was awful."

Following the attack, an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 bees were discovered in two nearby hives; one in a nearby tree, the other in a nearby barn.

Another witness to the attack, Sierra Linnemeyer, said that the horses were completely covered with the insects.

"You couldn't tell what color they were, they were so covered [in bees]," said Sierra Linnemeyer.

Sierra says she lay with one of the dying horses after the attack, despite the stings she received to her arms and legs.

"I went down there and put his head in my lap as he was passing away so he wouldn't be alone," she said.