Thousands raised for horse ranch stung by bee removal cost

01:01 AM PDT on Sunday, August 15, 2010

By DUG BEGLEY
The Press-Enterprise Horse enthusiasts in western Riverside County are warning property owners to be on the lookout for hives, as they help out a local ranch reeling from the deaths of two horses and a plethora of so-called "killer bees."
Supporters of the Wagon Wheel ranch in Menifee gathered Saturday for a fundraiser aimed at defraying the costly bee removal that followed the June discovery of more than 400,000 Africanized bees on the property.
The barbecue dinner and other activities at Wild West Arena in Winchester preceded a horse ride in memory of two Tennessee walkers killed by the bees when they got too close to a large hive.

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Rich Linton / Special to The Press-Enterprise

Hannah Schaffer, daughter of ranch owner Christa Schaffer, prepares Bravo for a tribute ride to remember two horses that died after being attacked by the bees.

Scoop and Charger, both boarders at the ranch, were swarmed by the aggressive bees and later died from their injuries.
Following the hive attack, exterminators found hives in a pepper tree and other areas that housed nearly a half-million bees around the ranch. Riverside County crews demolished two buildings and some trees that were bee hot spots. But the ranch is stuck with the bill.
Ranch owner Christa Schaffer said because of the lost time working at the ranch the debt would be tougher to pay off.
"It's not like I had $20,000 sitting there for a bee removal fund," Schaffer said.
Africanized bees have become increasingly common in Southern California, as the deadly bees breed with their tamer European counterparts and grow in numbers. They were first discovered in Blythe in far eastern Riverside County in 1994. They have made their way across most of Southern California.

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Ranch owner Christa Schaffer, right, greets Marla Quinci at the fundraiser to help her pay the costs from an attack by Africanized bees a few months ago.

Landowners must be vigilant, said Robert Daniel, an exterminator in the Temecula area who spoke at Saturday's fundraiser for Schaffer's ranch.
"You have to approach every hive and every bee call as if they are Africanized," Daniel said.
He said in the past year he has responded to more calls for bee removal than in the past eight years.
"They're definitely on the rise," Daniel said.


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