Breaking Bee News

Peoria, AZ: 4 Children Hospitalized after Bee attack

2012-02-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

5 Children Stung During Bee Attack

via: MyFoxPhoenix:

PEORIA - Fivechildren are recovering after being stung by a swarm of bees Thursday afternoon, near 91st Ave and Peoria.
They were chased by hundreds of bees and stung at least a dozen times -- but firefighters say it could've been much worse.
"It was a large swarm of bees that attacked the kids," says a Peoria firefighter. "They were stung around the head, face, arms, exposed areas mostly.
Firefighters say the kids were playing with an irrigation box when they were attacked. They ran a quarter mile down a parking lot and asked workers at Shower Doors & More for help.

African Killer Bees readily nest in water meters & irrigation boxes

"We heard the screaming, there was tons of screaming. We didn't know what was going on, then we started clueing in," says Kim Beardon. She called 911.
There were five kids stung, ranging in age from 5 to 14.
"They were trying to take off as much clothing as possible to get the bees out of their clothes and hair," says Beardon.
Four of the five kids were taken to the hospital as a precaution and should be released soon.
The owner of the complex will have to hire a bee removal company to kill the bees.
Firefighters say the lesson here is to never lift an irrigation box if you see bees flying around it.

See the rest of the article here: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/health/children-stung-during-bee-attack-1-26-2012

Wasp attack victim died of heart attack

2012-02-06T11:47:00.001-05:00

Wasp attack victim died of heart attack :

New Zealand:

A man who died after being stung "hundreds" of times by swarming wasps on Saturday was killed by a heart attack brought on by the frenzied attack, a coroner has revealed.
Morris Robert Stretch, 62, was collecting firewood in a forest in the Marlborough Sounds with his nephew Craig Wilson, 49, when the pair disturbed a massive underground wasps' nest.
Mr Stretch, who had only just moved to the picturesque Kenepuru Sound area last month, told his nephew to run for it into the forest to escape the killer swarm.
The retired cleaner sprinted towards a nearby road where he was overcome by the "aggressive" swarm.
When his nephew came to find him moments later, Mr Stretch was dead on the road - with dozens of wasps still covering his face, neck, and body. Mr Wilson tried to resuscitate him with CPR and was helped by a passerby, but Mr Stretch passed away at the scene before emergency services arrived.

Yellow Jacket Wasp

Mr Stretch's body was returned to Kereru marae in his home region of Manawatu today (Monday) and will be laid to rest in a tangi on Wednesday.
His niece Darcia Mangakahiao travelled back from Kenepuru Sound today and paid tribute to "a neat bloke, a real family man."

She said the family, especially her brother Mr Wilson who was also stung in the attack and required hospital treatment, are stunned by the freak death.
"Everyone ... friends and family are absolutely devastated to lose him. And they are all devastated at exactly how he died,"
Ms Mangakahiao said her uncle had gone to live with his sister Mona Wilson and her husband Jim in Kenepuru to "have a change of lifestyle" and spend time with his southern family.

She told APNZ how her brother and uncle had ventured into the forest at the back of the family property on Saturday morning to cut firewood and go fishing.
"They were walking along and uncle Morris noticed he had stood on a wasps' nest and they became aggressive straight away," she said.
"Uncle Morris told my brother to make a run for it. He ran one way - towards the trees - and my uncle ran towards the road.
"When my brother went to find him, he came across him lying on the road, dead.
"When Craig opened his shirt to do CPR, he was still covered in wasps. They were all over his face, neck, and chest - everywhere."
Ms Mangakahiao revealed that it wasn't the "hundreds, if not more" stings estimated to have been inflicted on her uncle's body that killed him, but a massive heart attack.
"The coroner told us that the wasps caused him to have a heart attack and that was what killed him," she said.

"To have that number attack you ... you can hardly imagine what it must have been like.
"He was a neat bloke, a real family man. He loved all his family - nieces, nephews, and they all loved him to pieces more like a cousin than an uncle.
"He had become a christian and was a very staunch person. But he was also a very fun-loving, outgoing person. He kept the family together.

"My mum is very cut up. He was a great help to my mum and dad and they'll definitely miss him."
Ms Mangakahiao said Mr Stretch had worked as a cleaner in Palmerston North before retiring.

He is survived by his daughter Rangitaiki, 42, son Justin, 18, and two grandchildren.
Senior Constable Andrew Wilson of Havelock police said the horror attack happened at around 9am on Saturday.

He said Mr Stretch had suffered a "significant amount" of stings, which amounted to "hundreds, if not more."

The officer said: "Wasps are aggressive and can sting hundreds, if not thousands of times, per individual. So when you've got a significant number attacking your body, you can hardly imagine how horrible it must have been."

Read more of the story at: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10783779

Man dumps gasoline on beehive, sets explosion heard throughout neighborhoood

2011-10-01T16:45:00.001-04:00

Man avenges bee-stung friend, sets hive on fire

(AP) LYNDEN, Wash. - A Washington state fire chief says a man dumped gasoline on a beehive in a tree in retaliation for a bee sting, then ignited the hive, causing an explosion heard throughout his suburban neighborhood just a few miles south of the Canadian border.
Lynden chief Gary Baar tells the Bellingham Herald that the Sunday night fire caused a large "whoosh," singed the tree and killed the bees but no people were hurt.
Baar says the man's friend had been stung earlier in the day.
The fire chief says, "The correct way to do that is to call a beekeeper."
Firefighters explained that to the homeowner, and the newspaper says it doesn't appear that that the man will be cited.

Ft. Worth, TX: Bee Stings shorten Men’s golf tournament

2011-09-29T10:06:00.001-04:00

The final round of the UTA/Waterchase Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas, was canceled last Tuesday for one of the more bizarre reasons you will ever hear about. Less than two hours after the K-State golfers had started play, a tree limb holding a beehive fell to the ground near the 18th green, sending more than 7,000 bees into a frenzy. At least a dozen different competitors were stung by the bees, and after a lengthy delay in which a beekeeper was summoned to evaluate the situation, the continuing threat caused officials to cancel the final round and reduce the tournament to the 36 holes played on Monday.
"It was very unfortunate because each of our guys had played five or six holes and our top four scorers were around even par," said head coach Tim Norris. "This is my first experience of something like this happening, but I know our guys are excited to get back out on the course in a couple of weeks at our home tournament."
As for the bee-shortened tournament results, the Wildcats carded a 36-hole score of 19-over-par 595, which gave them a seventh place finish out of 19 schools competing in the tournament. For the second consecutive week, the Wichita State Shockers came out on top, this time with a 36-hole score of 6-under-par 570. They finished four strokes ahead of second-place Sam Houston State.
Individually, the Wildcats were led by freshman Kyle Weldon, who was making his debut on the five-man scoring roster. Weldon recorded a score of 1-under-par 143 in the two rounds on Monday, leaving him in fifth place and only four strokes behind 1st-place finisher Rafael Becker of Wichita State. The fifth-place finish is the highest for a K-State golfer so far in the young season.
Other Wildcats competing in the tournament included junior Curtis Yonke, who finished 4-strokes-over-par 148, tying him for 24th place overall. Finishing two strokes behind him, and tied for 36th place individually, was senior Kyle Smell. Ben Juffer, junior, tied for 70th place with a 12-over-par finish. Fellow junior Chase Chamberlin rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats by carding a 36-hole score of 15-over-par 159. He tied

Read the rest of the story here

Malaysia: Preschooler dies after feral honey bee attack

2011-09-28T09:34:00.000-04:00

MALAYSIA

Pre-school pupil dies after bee attack

The Star/Asia News Network
Tuesday, Sep 27, 2011

BESUT, Malaysia - A five-year-old kindergarten pupil died after he was stung by bees while on his way home to Kampung Pengkalan Nyireh here.
The victim, Tengku Hafizul Hafiq Tengku Anuar, was riding pillion when the incident occurred at about 1pm on Sunday.
It is learnt that as he and his mother neared their house, a beehive suddenly fell from a nearby tree onto their motorcycle.
Rakiah Ismail, 31, said she had to stop the motorcyle after they were attacked by the bees.
"I told Hafizul to run as fast as he could to a neighbour's house.
"However, he was already stung by more than 50 bees," she said adding that Hafizul died four hours after the incident at Besut Hospital.
"His whole face was swollen and he lost consciousness soon after the attack.
"I never thought I would lose him like this," she said.

Read the rest of the story here

Roselle Illinois: Man dies after attempting bee removal in his house

2011-09-28T00:40:00.000-04:00

September 27, 2011 (ROSELLE) (WLS) -- A Roselle man died after being stung by a swarm of bees while removing a hive at his northwest suburban home.

Officials say Bruce Madiar, 62, collapsed on the front stoop of his home Monday night as he was using repellant on a beehive lodged under the overhang. The Roselle Fire Department, assisted by Itasca paramedics, were called and found him unconscious, but breathing. The medical examiner's office is still working on an exact cause of death.
"From what I understand, they did some CPR and advanced life procedures with the paramedic, rendering care and drug therapy," Roselle Fire Chief Bob Tinucci said.
"I did see them bring Bruce out administering CPR and oxygen, so I knew it was something pretty serious," said Mike Weflan, neighbor.
Weflan was at home Monday evening when he says the large response of fire trucks and ambulances blocked off the street. Attempts to resuscitate Madiar were unsuccessful and he was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, where he was pronounced dead.
Weflan says he knew Madiar casually, but that he was a long time resident of the neighborhood.

See the rest of the story here

How Careless can we get about feral Honey Bee colonies?

2011-09-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

How careless can we get?

September 22, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under Editorial

Africanised bees have struck again and they have claimed yet another human life. These were bees that came into this country from neighbouring Brazil and have corrupted the hives of the ordinary honey bees we once had.
As their name suggests, they came from Africa either by human hand or by way of experimentation. Some Brazilian beekeeper allowed one hive to escape and Guyana is now their home. These bees have spread all over the country contaminating hives and making their own hives.
The movement of animals and insects is nothing unusual. What is unusual is that people through their uncaring ways have allowed these insects to prosper. People must have seen them trying to invade some lodging or some clump of bush or even some old discarded vehicle, and did nothing.
In the case of the recent Eccles incident in which a man died, people saw the bees setting up residence in four different locations and did nothing. In the end the bees set themselves up in a fashionable house in the neighbourhood, expanding their hive and when things got out of hand, moving to other locations nearby.
This speaks a lot for people in a community. There have been warnings from the outset that should people see bees swarming in a community they should call the Ministry of Agriculture. However, the attitude that if something is in no way affecting us at this time then we do nothing.
This was the case on the Essequibo Coast in some villages where the bees eventually struck with deadly effect. The same thing happened in the residential community of Queenstown, Georgetown. The bees were seen entering the community and installing themselves in an old car. When a man, after some time, decided to week the area he angered them with fatal consequences for some dogs. Human beings were also attacked but they managed to survive.
We have reported on numerous incidents of these bee attacks. In another East Bank Demerara community a man and a horse died.
The cold hard fact is that we contribute to the disaster because through our selfish actions we condemn a community to disaster, in this case, attacks from the bees. Similar selfish actions actually saw armed gangs attacking homes, safe in the knowledge that people would remain ensconced in their homes while their neighbours are being terrorized.
In those communities where people respond en masse criminals tend to stay away. People do what was always the case, “Look out for each other.”
Sparking electric wires trigger some response because a fire may not be confined to a single home in the area but this community-minded action is not often transferred to other cases.
But there is more to this. The Ministry of Agriculture has no one who can respond and deal with cases of bee invasion. People needing help must call private individuals. True, the Agriculture Ministry would provide the numbers but since these are private individuals there is no guarantee that a bee control worker would respond in a timely manner.
Within the past few years, six of these people have been killed. There was no compensation from the government because the conclusion was that the operator went there in his private capacity.
Given that bees have been no stranger to Guyana for decades one would have expected that the Ministry of Agriculture would have had a section that could have been dealing with bees. And the people of Guyana, cognizant that the government offers assistance to the public at no cost, expect the same when it comes to protection from insects such as the Africanised bees.
In this case the private operator who arrived there was accosted, threatened and even chased with an implement for taking too long to arrive. No one paid him and the expectation is that he would always be there to respond to a bee crisis. This may not be the case.
The onus is therefore for the people to be vigilant for their own survival. There will be other instances of the Africanised bees entering other communities and there are those communities in which they have already set up hives. People need to take action, even if for their own safety.

Read the rest of the article here

Fatal Africanized Honey Bee attack in Guyana leaves one dead

2011-09-21T09:33:00.000-04:00

Killer bees exterminated after stung Eccles mechanic dies

Written by Whitney Persaud

Wednesday, 21 September 2011 02:38

SHEIK Iman Hassan, the 48-year-old mechanic who was attacked by a swarm of killer bees, at his Lot 238 Anaida Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara address, on Friday has died.
He and his co-worker were attending to a customer’s vehicle at the time of the attack and Hassan’s wife, Savatri, said he was left lying on the road for about five minutes before being transported to the Balwant Singh Hospital, in East Street, Georgetown, where he succumbed later the same afternoon. DEAD: Sheikh Imran Hassan, 48

The woman said the two men tried to fight off the insects. He put his head in a barrel of water and the other man hid in the car on which they were working.
Savatri said she went to assist them but, in fear of her own life, she abandoned the effort, noting that the bees were there for between half an hour to 45 minutes, during which no one else intervened.
“The carpenters in the areas tried their best to help; they even lit a fire to try and smoke them out but their efforts were unsuccessful,” the grieving woman said.
The widowed woman said it was the first time that such an incident occurred in the area. She is left to mourn with three children.
The neighbouring house where the bees hive was

Meanwhile, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) said, following the occurrence, immediate action was taken to exterminate the killer bees in the area.
The agency said it contacted a private beekeeper, Mr. Carl Persaud, who responded to the scene and did what was necessary, including rescuing two dogs.
He said, based on the number of bees that were exterminated, he believes there are other colonies of them within the area.
The GLDA is advising that the bees are hostile and should be reported immediately to telephone numbers 220-6556/7.
It extended its sympathy to the family of the dead man and those persons who were stung and injured in the process.

Read the rest of the story here

"I was afraid they were going to kill me":Modesto Ca: Bees attack 70 year old man walking his dog

2011-07-24T10:21:00.001-04:00

MODESTO -- African honey bees attacked a 70-year-old man walking his dogs near Modesto in the first known documented "killer bees" assault north of Madera.
Agricultural officials believe African bees have not colonized north of Tulare County and suspect that the July 5 attack, though savage, was isolated.

"It felt like my head was on fire," Jack McBride said Saturday, a day after learning that a state laboratory confirmed the identity of the aggressive insects that stung him more than 50 times.

"They zeroed in on my head," McBride said. "I couldn't see anything but bees. I was spitting them out, then gritted my teeth so they wouldn't get in. I was afraid they were going to kill me."

McBride was stung inside his nose and on his eyelids, face, neck, armpits and torso.

He fell, lost his glasses, tried rolling and finally ran, half-blinded, about one-eighth of a mile to take shelter in a house -- bees chasing him the whole way.

European honey bees, crucial for pollinating many California crops, "just don't overdo it like that," said Eric Mussen, a University of California at Davis apiculturist, or bee expert.

Mussen and Gary Caseri, Stanislaus County's agriculture commissioner, said African bees likely swarmed, or escaped a hive to repopulate elsewhere, after being trucked in to pollinate almonds around Modesto.

It's unlikely that African bees moved that far north on their own without confrontations reported in other counties such as Fresno and Merced, Mussen said.

African bees are similar to their European cousins in size, venom and honey production, but are much more defensive of territory, sending many more attackers and chasing victims up to a quarter-mile.
Ambulance workers administered antihistamine and an IV before rushing McBride to the hospital, where he was given morphine for pain.

"I was bitten so many times. It felt like the worst sunburn you've ever had," he said.
He felt better in about 24 hours and eventually retrieved his glasses.

One of his dogs was stung in the eye and another vomited, so he took both to a veterinarian. They seemed to recover more quickly, McBride said.

The property owner hired an exterminator who destroyed four nests, using a crane to reach some in trees.

See the rest of the story here

Entomologist's Comment:

This event is becoming ever more common... A resident, out doing his or her thing, becomes a victim of a Killer Bee Attack.

Sadly, attacks by Africanized Honey Bees, (AHB or Killer Bees), will only become more commonplace, as these invasive insects continue to exploit available areas. Here in Florida, our official AHB slogan is " Bee Aware: Look, Listen, Run!, which at first sounds silly, but in fact is quite helpful. Take a look at our Dept. of Agriculture's, Apiary Section AHB Poster

Bee Aware: Look, Listen, Run poster

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Tuscon AZ: Friends remember man killed in bee attack

2011-07-14T11:40:00.002-04:00

Friends remember man killed in bee attack

Posted: Jul 14, 2011 2:11 AM EDT Updated: Jul 14, 2011 2:11 AM EDT

By Sonu Wasu, reporter

Friends expressed shock and sadness after hearing about the tragic death of 46-year old Oscar Navarro, a man attacked by a big swarm of killer bees last Friday.
Neighbors who shared the property with Navarro described him as a very friendly man, who would always bring candy for their kids, and greet them with a kind word.

Lewis Urling was not only good friends with Navarro, he was also his landlord. Urling said Navarro was a former pilot, who was on disability. He was diabetic.
Urling said with his health and condition, there was no way Navarro would have been able to out-run or fight off the hundreds of bees, that attacked him.
Neighbors were horrified to hear about the death.
"I just burst out crying. You would expect that. He was the sweetest man you would ever meet. I can't imagine his pain. Nobody should die like that," said Navarro's neighbor Dulce Pena.
Tucson city crews found a bee-hive buried in a Mesquite tree in a wash, just a few hundred yards away from the boys and girls club, at Joaquin Murietta Park, on N. Silverbell Road.
The city called the Northwest Exterminating company to get rid of the hive.
Crews put on bee suits and protective masks, and attacked the hive with rakes, and nozzles filled with a soap solution. They also left behind sticky traps to catch the bees that were still alive.
By Wednesday evening, crews said they had killed off most of the Africanized honey bees, including the Queen of the colony.
Dena Berg, the manager of Northwest Exterminators said Africanized Honey Bees were the most prevalent species in Tucson. They typically came out during the monsoon, when plants started to flower. They were also considered the most aggressive and deadly bees out there.
This was the first bee death in Pima County this year.
Friends say Navarro, who did not have a car, was walking by the park towards Blockbuster video to return some movies, when the bees attacked him.
Witnesses said he was covered with bees from head to toe, and was stung hundreds of times.
Pima County officials said an autopsy showed that Navarro died from "mass envenomation."

See the rest of the story here

Entomologist's Comment:

Bee Aware: Look, Listen, Run poster

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Truck loaded with bees closes Wyoming highway

2011-04-26T02:49:00.000-04:00

By BEN NEARY
Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - An accident involving a truck loaded with honey bees temporarily forced the closure of a highway in central Wyoming.
Wyoming Highway 220 southwest of Casper was closed in both directions from midmorning Monday until shortly after 2 p.m.
Trooper Marshall Wyatt of the Wyoming Highway Patrol says the accident happened when a westbound pickup truck drifted across the centerline and sideswiped an eastbound semitrailer hauling hundreds of hives of bees.
Wyatt says between 150 to 200 hives broke open and spread along about 400 feet of highway.
Wyatt says a few people got stung. He says the pickup driver was treated and released from a hospital.
Workers wearing protective suits piled the hives on the side of the road and burned them.

read the rest of the story here..

Bees attack and kill South Texas Elderly Couple

2011-04-20T21:42:00.005-04:00

Bees sting elderly couple to death in south Texas (Reuters)

By Jared Taylor

MCALLEN, Texas | Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:16pm EDT

MCALLEN, Texas (Reuters) - An elderly South Texas couple died and their son was injured after a swarm of bees attacked them on their remote ranch, authorities said on Wednesday.

William Steele, 95, and his wife, Myrtle, 92, died and their son, Richard, 67, was injured after bees attacked them as they tried to clean a hunting cabin on their ranch near Hebbronville on Monday, an investigator with the Jim Hogg County Sheriff's Office said.

"It was a terrible thing," Investigator Reyes Espinoza told Reuters. "You don't prepare for something like that."

Richard Steele told investigators he and his parents were attacked after they moved a wood stove in the cabin and exposed a hive of bees, Espinoza said.

The son immediately drove about 15 miles to the nearest road, where he managed to call for help on a cell phone.

William Steele tried to escape the bees by running from the cabin, but he fell and succumbed to hundreds of bee stings, Espinoza said.

Myrtle Steele was airlifted to a Corpus Christi hospital, where she died on Tuesday. Her son was transported to a Laredo hospital and released, Espinoza said.

Espinoza said the bees swarmed deputies when they arrived at the scene on Monday.

"By the grace of God, we didn't get stung," he said. "You could literally scoop them off of us."

Espinoza said they were likely Africanized honey bees -- often called "killer bees" for their aggression -- which are common in south Texas.

The bees are hybrids from swarms originally introduced to Brazil from Africa, which absconded in the 1950s. They spread north through South and Central America, crossing into south Texas in 1990, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The bees swarm more frequently than native bees, and are extremely defensive. The USDA advises untrained individuals against trying to remove swarms. If attacked, individuals should run away quickly and not stop to help others.

Read the rest of the article Here

Entomologist's Comment:

This is such a tragic event, as with just a bit of care and caution, it's likely that these deaths could have been prevented. When I'm called in to offer an assessment of feral bees nesting in a home or home landscape, I always stress the dangers to nearby pets, children, handicapped and elderly folks, as these are the groups at significant risk from defensive bee attacks. Please, don't allow a feral colony to exist near or in your home, call us for expert removal services at 1-800-343-5317.

Here are some links with helpful info:

ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Our African Bee info page

Killer Bees in Orlando during a 6 hour removal process:

AFBEE

University of Florida's African Honey Bee Extension & Education Program

The African Honey Bee FAQ

Frequently asked questions about African honey bees, from FDACS - Division of Plant Industry

Bee Removal from your house or landscape info

Bee Removal information and regulations from University of Florida's African Honey Bee Extension & Education Program

Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

University of Florida's Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

Rabbi attacked by African killer bees

2011-04-06T20:46:00.000-04:00

Rabbi attacked by African killer bees in Zimbabwe

April 4, 2011

JOHANNESBURG (JTA) -- A rabbi handing out matzah and wine for Passover to Jews in Zimbabwe was attacked by a swarm of African killer bees.
Moshe Silberhaft, the spiritual leader and executive director of the African Jewish Congress known as "The Traveling Rabbi," was making a pre-Passover visit to the 190 Jews left in the beleaguered capital of Harare when he was attacked by the bees while walking from the Ashkenazi synagogue to the Sephardi synagogue on the Shabbat of April 2.
The rabbi was being accompanied by the Ashkenazi synagogue's Torah reader, Yosi Kably.
“They suddenly swarmed on us from nowhere, buzzing around our heads and in our ears," Silberhaft said of the bees from the hive located under a wooden pole. "We didn’t even hear them coming.”
After being stung repeatedly the two men ran into traffic, pounding on car windows, but no one would risk opening their windows for fear of letting in the bees. Passers-by attempted to help by spraying the bees with a poison and setting a tire alight to smoke them out.
Silberhaft and Kably called for help and were taken to a private doctor’s clinic, where they received adrenaline, oxygen, antihistamines, cortisone and painkillers. Some of the stingers were pulled out one by one by the doctor and assistants.
The rabbi returned to Johannesburg with stingers still on his head, nose and hands, as well as in his ears.
Silberhaft, a regular visitor to Zimbabwe and other sub-Saharan African countries, was visibly upset at missing the service and was saddened that the incident occurred on Shabbat.
“Africa is not for sissies,” he said.

Read the rest of the article here: Rabbi attacked by African killer bees

Millions of bees swarm after Mississippi wreck

2011-03-20T10:20:00.002-04:00

By Emily Lane | The Natchez Democrat

Published Saturday, March 19, 2011

NATCHEZ — You would be ticked, too, if you and 44 million of your buddies were stuffed in an 18-wheeler when it flopped over like a dead daisy in the middle of pollination season.
Truck driver Mike Johnson had almost reached his South Adams County destination to put 448 honeybees to bed Thursday night, when the truck’s back axle fell in a ditch on the passenger side and pulled the hulking truck with a swarming cargo flat to its side.
The bees were coming from California to a plot of land near Sibley in order to catch Mississippi’s warm weather and early pollination season before being hauled off to South Dakota to get busy making money, Ken Ensminger said.

Photo by Eric Shelton

Bees swarm around their boxes after the accident.

Photo by Eric Shelton

Bees swarm around their boxes after the accident.

Ensminger is a coordinator stationed in Vidalia for A.H. Meyer & Sons Inc., a family-owned beekeeping company.
The truck fell over at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday when it was on its way up to the field from the highway. It did not get turned upright until 3:30 p.m. Friday, after all of the bee hives were rescued and laid out on the property in their customary white boxes.
Ensminger said the bee hives were covered with a net inside the truck, so they did not escape and were not harmed. It took from 5 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Friday to cut each box containing a hive out of the netting on the back of the truck and stack them in the field, Ensminger said.
Crews with Curtis Wrecker Services, who arrived to pull the 18-wheeler right side up, were decked out in white bee suits and netted hats, which Ensminger lent to them.
“They’re ticked off,” Ensminger said of the bees. “But they’ll (calm down) and then you can control them like anything else.”
Ensminger, whose only protection was a netted mask that attached to his Louisiana State University straw hat, said he had not been stung Thursday night or all of Friday even though he surrendered his suit to the towing employees.
“But I get stung all the time,” he said.
A crew member from Curtis said he was stung three times before he was able to put on his suit.
Ensminger said the men were able to clean up the mess much faster than he anticipated and that it could have been much worse.
He said the property owner, who trades the use of his property for three cases of honey, was very understanding about the mishap in his field, Ensminger said.
By 3 p.m., many of the bees had already settled down from the “trauma” of the car wreck. But the ones who were most recently rattled by the move from the truck made the sky and white boxes where their hives are kept look black from their swarming.
“They’re just confused,” Ensminger said. “By morning they’ll decide which box is theirs, and they’ll home-up.”
Ensminger said the worker bees who swarmed were looking for their queens.

For more of this article go to Natchez Democrat

Elderly woman suffers over a 1000 stings in Florida Yellow Jacket attack

2010-11-03T09:03:00.002-04:00

Elderly woman in critical condition after suffering over 1000 Yellow Jacket wasp stings

LAKELAND - A Lakeland woman is in critical condition after surviving a horrific attack by hundreds of yellow jacket wasps.
Juanita Foshee, 81, wife was watering the lawn Saturday evening when she came across a yellow jacket nest in the ground, according to her husband Clyde Foshee.
Clyde said the attack started in their yard, but didn't stop until they got Juanita to the hospital.
"One of the nurses in the ER was stung by a yellow jacket that was in her hair," Foshee said.
Clyde said his wife's condition is guarded.
"Her condition is critical. The doctors have never seen anything like this before. They're amazed that she's still alive," Foshee said.
Clyde and Juanita Foshee have been married for 55 years. Imagine his shock when he got the call that she had been stung by more than 1,000 yellow jackets.
"Buddy, I couldn't believe my eyes," said Foshee. "There wasn't a place on her body that wasn't covered with yellow jackets."
Yellow jackets are known be aggressive, and will sting repeatedly if provoked. Experts say it would make sense that Juanita may have accidentally disturbed a nest in the ground.
"The yellow jackets actually prefer to be in the ground, they actually excavate the soil," said Jonathan Simkins of Insect IQ.
Juanita is at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
"I can't imagine what kind of pain she went through. The doctor said she had over a thousand bites," Foshee said.
In addition to her external injuries, Clyde says his wife is suffering kidney damage. Right now, they aren't sure if she's going to make it.
Experts say a yellow jacket nest can house up to 5,000 yellow jackets. To avoid them, watch out for the warning signs.
"The one thing you want to look for is a flight pattern. You're gonna see yellow jackets flying in and out of an area -- that's a problem," Simkins said.
The Foshee family is hoping this mother of three survives her bout with the pesky insects.
"She's 81 years old and she's tough. She's gotta be tough to even survive this," said Foshee.

Entomologist's comment:

Our very own entomologist, Jonathan Simkins is intereviewed, explaining the very dangerous nature of these defensive insects. This year alone, dozens of Florida residents have suffered severe injury or death from stinging insect stings.

Georgia man demolishing shed killed by Honey Bees

2010-10-11T21:26:00.000-04:00

Posted: Oct 11, 2010 4:52 PM EDT

By Jennifer Emert - bio | email

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – A Dougherty County man was stung to death in a bee attack Monday.
The 73 year old man was on a bulldozer on some property on Williamsburg Road, not far from U.S. 19 in Southeastern Dougherty County. The dozer bumped an old wooden porch post where honey bees had built a giant hive and they swarmed him. Tens of thousands of them attacked Curtis Davis.
Coroner Emma Quimbley says Curtis Davis was stung hundreds of times, too many to count. She told me it was so many stings there would have been little chance of anyone surviving this type of attack.
Several handfuls of dead bees doesn't begin to describe how many tens of thousands swarmed this field where 73 year old Curtis Davis lost his life.
"The bees were probably just three to four inches surrounding the bull dozer dead," said Battalion Chief Marty Leverett, Albany Fire Department.
More than an hour after Davis was attacked, bees still swarmed around the cab of the bulldozer.
"He got overcome by bees and he got stung. Actually he was unconscious when we arrived," said Leverett.
Firefighters battled the bees so paramedics could get to him.
"They had to use a CO2 extinguisher to brush the bees away from him and they used their turn out gear which gave them a pretty good bit of protection to go up and actually get him," said Leverett.
Still many got stung, including Beekeeper Dale Richter who found the honey bee hive inside an old porch rail being moved by the bull dozer.
"Probably between 20,000 and 30,000 honey bees there and with the tractor running and the fire fighters out here with all this equipment, it just kept them highly irritated," said Dale Richter, a beekeeper
"It was kind of scary they were all over your clothes," said Leverett.
While it's unusual for bees to swarm this late in the year, it's always better to check the debris before moving.
"People need to be aware when they're out building or destroying anything like this or pushing down equipment they need to really check for honey bees and yellow jackets," said Richter.
Some firefighters and several members of Davis' family were stung. Everyone has been treated for those stings.
Both the coroner and beekeeper met at the site late this afternoon. While honey bees only sting you once, they say hundreds of stings can be fatal.

see the rest of the story here

Phoenix, AZ, Bees kill 2 dogs, severely injure family members

2010-09-28T08:32:00.000-04:00

KPHO.com 23 Sep 2010:

PHOENIX -- A swarm of bees attacked and killed two pet dogs Thursday at a home near 24th Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix.
Robert Tomkins said that by the time a neighbor called to tell him there was a swarm of bees by his home, he could only get two of his dogs indoors. He said a couple hundred bees got inside the house, stinging him about 50 times. He said his wife and young son were also stung.Two dogs could not be saved in time -- Lucky, a Dalmatian and Baby, a Labrador-pit bull mix. They were were stung hundreds of times and died from their injuries."They’re like family. It’s hard. It’s like losing a loved one. It hurts. We still have one at the vet -- don’t know if he’s going to make it or not," said Tomkins. “We pulled 35 stingers out of my dog’s ears -- that’s just his ears."Tomkins said he wants to caution others to be aware and alert -- the bee attack happened faster than he could ever have imagined.

See more of the story here:

San Marco, TX: Man survives over 1,200 Bee stings near his home

2010-09-15T08:12:00.005-04:00

September 7, 2010
San Marcos Daily Record
Anita Miller

When Lamar LaCaze named the road that leads to his house after his wife, he figured living on Lois Lane made a good case that he was Superman.

After he was nearly killed by a swarm of bees last week, his wife's buying in.

"Anyone who can survive that many bee stings is Superman," Lois LaCaze said Saturday from her husband's bedside at Seton Hospital in Kyle.

Lamar LaCaze, 65, longtime San Marcos barber, was attacked by bees while mowing Aug. 31. Emergency room workers pulled more than 1,200 stingers out of his body and whole bees from his ears, nose, mouth and throat.

The attack came just after he started mowing on the property off FM 150 between IH-35 and Hwy. 21.

"I made one loop and started up a little hill. It wouldn't go, so I took a right. The bees — like that — just flashed up in my face," he said.

He got off his tractor and fell. Intending to get to a water trough and get his head under, he made it "about 25 yards" before being unable to crawl over a fence. "I couldn't stand up. They just keep buzzing me."

LaCaze had his cell phone. He managed to open his eyes enough to call his wife "but it went to voice mail, she was working." Then he tried his son Trey. "It rang six times and I hung up."

Sometime around then Trey got home and had grown concerned about his father's whereabouts. Then his cell phone rang again. "I'm in bees," his father told him.

Trey rushed to the scene and initially searched a different area. When he did find his father he was slumped over the fence. "He was not moving. When I went to pull him out he looked up. His head was black, solid bees. It looked like a bee hive on his head."

Trey threw buckets of water on his father and a neighbor, Rudy Cisneros, came with a fire extinguisher. Lamar's granddaughter called 911 and when Kyle firefighters arrived, Trey noted they "suited up" before spraying the attackers and his father with foam.

Five days after the suicide bombing — bees die once they inject their stinger — Lamar LaCaze was a frightening sight. The swelling had subsided, the family said, but the area around his eyes was still blackened, one ear looked as if its lobe had exploded, and black bloody spots dotted his face, head, neck and arms.

Saturday was the first day he could really open his eyes, and he coughed intermittently.

Luckily, he was wearing heavy blue jeans and stingers didn't penetrate the starched fabric.

Rushed to Seton by EMS, he was a center of attention.

"It was like you see on TV," his wife recalls, with medical professionals completely surrounding her husband. When they gave her the jeans they'd cut off of him, "they said be careful getting things out of his pockets — they're full of stingers."

The family was on Saturday anticipating his release from the hospital within days. After that, there will be outpatient followups until his body has completely processed all the bee venom. "It ruined my kidneys sort of. My heart enzymes are bad," he said.

The family figures he encountered the bees around 2 p.m., and that about an hour and a half elapsed before Trey arrived on the scene. "I didn't see one bee. I seen a thousand," LaCaze recalls. "They were relentless."

Each of the family members experienced their own nightmare that day. Lamar LaCaze flatly didn't think he was going to make it. His wife — after a mad dash from San Marcos — thought this was the time she would lose him. His son, on first glance, thought he was already dead.

"There are so many things this venom in your body can cause. We're just pleased he's with us — just happy he's alive," Lois said.

The hive that had streamed out of a hollow tree is still on their property. They want them destroyed, but haven't yet been able to arrange that.

Lois LaCaze was employed at the Hays County Extension Office when the "killer bee" invasion occurred in the 1990s and back then when interest was high, "we had people signed up to go get hives."

No such list exists now. "I'm sure there's somebody out there, and we're going to keep looking," she said.

To confirm whether the swarm was actually Africanized honeybees, or hybrids with European honey bees, or a mix, would mean sending samples to A&M. "You've got to collect them and send them in and that's a dangerous situation," Lois LaCaze said. Still, she's like to try. "The neighbors want to know," she said.

"They're not worth anything, they don't even make much honey," Lamar LaCaze said of the aggressive bees. "I don't want any one of them to get away. I don't want them to go nowhere else."

He also won't be climbing back on that tractor any time soon. "I don't want to go outside this hospital without one of those bee suits," he said with a chuckle and cough. "They have no mercy," he said of the bees.

Bee attacks typically occur when a hive is swarming, which Africanized bees do much more frequently than European honey bees. Attacks can be precipitated by loud noise and vibrations like those made by LaCaze's tractor, A&M says, noting that attacks have been triggered by those activities "up to 100 feet or more" from the hive and "pedestrian activity up to 50 feet " away.

Bees attack the victim's head because they are attracted to animal breath, according to A&M. Other attractants include "hair, dark colors, new mown grass, citrus-scented candles and perfume."

A&M has information on bee proofing homes and landscapes and more at http://honeybee.tamu.edu/index.html.

"I've heard about these bees, you know, but I never thought about any of them just attacking like this," Lamar LaCaze says. "I didn't even see them coming. All of a sudden they were just there."

LaCaze has owned and operated Lamar's Barber shop for 38 years. He's been barbering in San Marcos for 46. The shop remains open during his recovery.

Read the rest of the story here.

Entomologist's Comment:

African Honey Bee attacks will continue to occur with increasing frequency. Here are some links with helpful info:

ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Our African Bee info page

Killer Bees in Orlando during a 6 hour removal process:

AFBEE

University of Florida's African Honey Bee Extension & Education Program

The African Honey Bee FAQ

Frequently asked questions about African honey bees, from FDACS - Division of Plant Industry

Bee Removal from your house or landscape info

Bee Removal information and regulations from University of Florida's African Honey Bee Extension & Education Program

Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

University of Florida's Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

San Antonio, TX: Bee atttack sends two men to hospital

2010-09-12T03:37:00.001-04:00

Sep 11, 2010

Two men were stung at least 30 times each at their far Southwest Side home by swarming bees Saturday, city fire officials said.
A firefighter who showed up to help also was stung, a Fire Department commander said.
Neither the two residents of the home in the 6100 block of Frio Valley nor fire Capt. Brian Soberalski were seriously injured, although the two residents were taken to Southwest General Hospital for treatment, said acting Battalion Chief Jarrett Vocke.
He said neither man appeared badly hurt, although both were stung “at least” 30 times, likely more.
It was not clear if the bees were Africanized killer bees.
Vocke said the men were doing yardwork when they came close to shrubs in the backyard.
A large swarm of bees attacked the men, who retreated to the home and summoned emergency responders.
“The bees were swarming pretty heavily when first responders arrived,” Vocke said. “But they quickly calmed down, so we were not required to spray” them with water to stop them from attacking, he said.
Vocke said the swarm, while large, was not a threat to neighbors.
But they were a threat for Soberalski, whose engine company was one of the first to arrive.
Vocke said at least one bee crawled over the firefighter's collar and under his fire hat, stinging him on the head.
He was not treated, Vocke said.
“He wasn't fazed by it at all,” Vocke said. “He continued on the job, 'cause he grew up on a ranch, and he's used to it.”
Vocke said city vector control officers would be investigating today to make sure “that the bees are no longer a problem,” or to dispose of them if they are.

read the rest of the story here

Entomologist's Comments:

African Honey Bees Kill farmer in Guyana Rice Field, injure others

2010-09-11T23:49:00.003-04:00

GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Hundreds of Africanized "killer" bees have stung a rice farmer to death in the South American nation of Guyana. It is the second such death of a Guyanese farmer in two weeks.

Police identify the latest victim as 45-year-old Jerome O'Brian Scott. A statement says Scott and two other men were swarmed Thursday as they headed home from a rice farm in Liverpool Village.

Read the rest of the story here.

And another account of the Bee attack:

Bees attacked and killed a farmer yesterday in an area aback of Liverpool Village on the Corentyne as he was returning home from tending to his rice field.
Dead is 45-year-old Jerome O’Brian Scott also known as ‘Bunch’ of Liverpool Village.
According to his son, Michael Scott, he and his father left home in the morning to go “in the backdam to bail water from the rice field”, after heavy rainfall on Wednesday.

Jerome O'Brian Scott

After they had completed their work in the backdam, Michael Scott said, they saw a dragline which was clearing drains in the same area. As the operator was making his way out with the machine, he added, they decided to join him for a ride out.
After about fifteen minutes on the machine, he told Stabroek News, “honey bees attack we from nowhere. Me just knock the glass and the man stop and open and we start fuh run.” He said he held his father’s hand as they ran and together they plunged into a nearby trench. Most of the bees were swarming his father, Michael said, and he (Jerome) took another direction. He said when he realized this he called after his father, but he was nowhere in sight.
Then he heard “some groans” and saw his father who appeared to be experiencing some difficulty.
Michael said he told his father, “come in the corner hay” and took him out of the water, even though bees continue to swarm them. He said his father then told him, “son me can’t mek am, gwan [go on]“.
He tried to carry away some of the bees by going away, he said, and at the same time seek help. He found another farmer, ‘Nutman’, who was on a horse, and related the story to him. They both returned to where his father was but “when we meet back deh, he just lie down like he dead with he face inside a water”.
They went back to look for a tractor to transport him home. They found John Corlette, another rice farmer, who brought his father’s body out and took it to the station and then to the Port Mourant Hospital.
Jerome’s wife Pamela Scott, said that he would “go backdam and come home everyday, but me din know that he nah guh come home today,“ as she broke down in tears.

read the rest of the story here

Entomologist's Comments:

4 Children die after honey bee attack

2010-09-11T23:46:00.001-04:00

Sept 11, 2010 IBN Live, India

Keonjhar (Orissa), Sep 11 (PTI) Four children including a girl of a family were killed in bee attack in Orissa's Keonjhar district, police said today.

The incident took place at Sapakanta village under Bansapal block in tribal dominated Keonjhar district yesterday when the children (all below 8-years of age) were guarding their family corn field, they said. The wild bees stung the children when they were sitting on a wooden platform erected to guard the corn field.

While a four year-old boy died on the spot, two others succumbed to bee attack on their way to hospital. Another died while undergoing treatment at the district headquarter hospital, a health department official said.

Read the rest of the story here.

Entomologist's Comments:

Tuscon man hospitalized after honey bee attack at his home

2010-09-11T23:41:00.000-04:00

Sep. 10, 2010

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD)- A Tucson man is hospitalized after being attacked by a swarm of bees on the city's east side.

It happened at 10:45 a.m. Friday in the 9000 block of East Chickamauga Street, near Broadway and Camino Seco, said Capt. Trish Tracy, a Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman.

Tucson Fire Department responded to a call from a man in his 70's saying he had been attacked by a swarm of bees, Tracy said.

Firefighters arrived to find the man stung more than 100 times, Tracy said. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A bee removal specialist was headed to the scene to assist with the bee removal, Tracy said. Pima Animal Care Center officials were responding to take care of the man's dog, who was also stung.

Stay tuned to KOLD News 13 live at 5 p.m. and KOLD.com for updates.

Fire Chief describes scene at Prescott, AZ bee attack that killed 2 horses, injured 1 more

2010-09-03T07:30:00.004-04:00

Bee swarm attacks three horses, two dead

September 3, 2010

By Neil Clarkson

horsetalk.co.nz

A fire marshal has described the harrowing sight that greeted firefighters called to save three horses under attack from bees.

"These horses were dying right in front of their eyes and there was nothing they could do about it."
Firefighters sprayed the swarm with a mix of foam and water, but it came too late to save two of the horses, who were covered in thousands of stings.

Fire Marshal Charlie Cook, of the Central Yavapai Fire District, in Prescott Valley, Arizona, described to Horsetalk how firefighters responded to the call on Monday.

Cook said the call came in around 4pm of three horses under attack from a bee swarm at Coyote Springs, on the fringe of Prescott Valley.

The fire station was just six or seven minutes away, but it was too late for the horses.

"When we got to the scene, thousands and thousands of bees were attacking these three horses.

"One of the firefighters said it was one of the worst calls he had ever been on. These horses were dying right in front of their eyes and there was nothing they could do about it."

Cook said huge welts were already visible on the horses when the fire crews arrived.

Firefighters went through 1500 gallons of water which was sprayed on the bees in a mixture with foam. The combination suffocates bees, he says.

A vet called to the scene euthanised two of the horses. A third was saved, but Cook said today he was uncertain how it was faring.

There were around 100 horses on the property, but the bees had only attacked three new horses introduced to the property.

"The bees never attacked the others," he said. "They are obviously territorial in a certain kind of way. The bees obviously knew they were new horses."

Cook said the owner of the property "knew there had been bees living in the walls of the barn for several years, but they had never caused a problem." (see my comments below-RMM)

A beekeeper was called and the walls were stripped to reveal a number of hives, the largest standing about 1.6 metres tall, 60 centimetres wide and about 12 centimetres deep.

Cook said the lesson to be learned was to call a beekeeper early when bees set up hives in an inappropriate place.

For a small fee the beekeepers will, where appropriate, relocate the bees to a more suitable environment, where they can be kept for their honey or to pollinate plants.

He said once the bees become a nuisance and fire crews are called, there is little choice but to kill them for safety reasons.

Cook noted there had been a lot of bee-related calls in Arizona this year.

See the rest of the story here:

Entomologist Comments:

Reading the fire chief's description of this tragic sting event sends chills through me, as we've encountered similar situations, and in most cases, could have been prevented with proper vigilance and action.

Why the owner of the horse facility would knowingly leave active honey bee colonies in a working barn leaves me scratching my head, AND, this is in KILLER BEE territory!! (I normally don't use the term "killer bee" alone, but in this case, I think it's warranted).

I encounter this attitude daily here in Florida, where we have an active and growing KILLER BEE population. We are seeing them move into Florida's prime horse country, near Ocala.( Check this blog post out from just last week, right near horse operations).

Clients often believe that since Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been affecting honey bee populations here in the U.S. , any wild honey bee colony found should be left alone, in order to boost bee populations. While it's true, CCD has reduced bee populations, the affected bees are only in managed bee operations, those kept by beekeepers, from huge commercial operations down to hobby beekeepers.

Feral (wild) bee populations are not affected by CCD, and are actually exploding here in Florida.

This is so important, let's see it again: Feral bee populations are not affected by CCD, and are exploding here in Florida.

Why such the increase? KILLER BEES! Yes, African Honey Bees are a vigorous race of bees, well suited for life in the subtropical clime we find here in Florida. And, they likely have evolved with pathogens & pests that most researchers suspect are a probable cause of CCD. So, it's natural that this vigorous, well adapted bee would do very well in Florida.

So it begs the question. Why would one leave a feral bee colony in a building that houses people, pets or animals?

I think it's largely due to ignorance, and this ongoing belief, strongly held by some, that bees are naturally gentle, and only sting when provoked. So, it's up to the experts to educate the public, especially those that are at greater risk, including equine operations, about the dangers of these 'new breed' of bees. African Bee infestations can be managed properly, greatly reducing the chances of a sting event, but it takes a new attitude, and working with stinging insect specialists. Beekeepers and standard pest control operators are ill-equipped to control these infestations. (Why not? see our post)

We are educating citizens, companies, utilities, firefighters, police and any interested group about the African Honey Bee and issues surrounding it. Our entomologists give presentations and offer consultations to help you manage this threat and we have specialists that remedy infestations daily. Give us a call at 800.343.5317, send us an email, or visit our website to schedule a presentation or for more info and help.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc. Entomologist

helpful links:

ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
Our website

AFBEE
University of Florida's African Honey Bee Extension & Education Program

The African Honey Bee FAQ

Frequently asked questions about African honey bees, from FDACS - Division of Plant Industry

Bureau of Plant & Apiary Inspection

Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - Division of Plant Industry

Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

University of Florida's Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

Florida State Beekeepers Association

The official bee keeping association in the State of Florida

Is your Bee removal company or indivdual licensed?

Structural or Landscape bee removal requires a pest control certification from the Florida Dept. of Agriculture. You can check by Applicator, or Company here. Don't let yourself fall prey to an unlicensed service provider!

Prescott AZ: Two horses euthanized after bee attack

2010-09-01T02:49:00.004-04:00

8/31/2010 3:16:00 PM The Daily Courier

Two horses euthanized after bee attack

Two horses were euthanized Monday after being attacked by a swarm of thousands of bees in Coyote Springs just off Kelly Road.

When
firefighters answered the call at 4 p.m., they found a swarm of
thousands of bees in a field attacking three horses who were covered in
large welts, said Charlie Cook, spokesman for the Central Yavapai Fire
District.

"Firefighters used 2,000 gallons of
water and foam to try to get the bees away from the horses," Cook said.
"The bees only attacked the three new horses that arrived at the ranch
last week."

The property is a large horse ranch with 100 horses, Cook said.

A veterinarian on the scene treated three horses, but two of them were so badly injured that they were euthanized, Cook said.

A beekeeper came to help remove bees as well, Cook said.

"When
firefighters tore down the walls of a wooden barn, they found multiple
hives," Cook said. "One hive was two feet wide, five and one half feet
tall and six and one half inches deep."

The
owner of the place said he knew there were bees in the barn, but they
never bothered him, any other people or the animals so he just left them
alone, Cook said.

"This is one of the worst bee calls we've been called out for," Cook said.

Cook
said firefighters with bee protection headgear, one engine, and a
battalion chief were on the scene for two hours taking care of the
problem.

The Central Yavapai Fire District
recommends that if you find bees on your property in a wall or other
unusual place that you call a beekeeper or bee removal service to take
care of the problem properly.

"If bees attack
people or animals, all firefighters can do is foam them and kill them,"
Cook said. "A beekeeper can properly remove bees to a place where they
can be beneficial and used to pollinate fruit trees and other crops."

See the rest of the story here

Entomologist's Comment:

This tragedy was completely preventable. Most bee attacks come from colonies that people know about. They think that the bees are gentle because "the bees are not attacking, at this time, so they must not be African Honey bees, aka, Killer Bees".

Well folks, events like this are happening with more frequency as the African Honey Bee increases it's range and concentration. We encounter mean bees EVERY DAY, and find that lack of concern for nearby bee nests very surprising.

Please, if you have bees in or near structures or trees that are near horses, contact us. We will remove the bees properly, so you have no worries about a sting event. Call us: 800-343-5317 or visit our website at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist (and expert bee wrangler!)

Phoenix, AZ, Family attacked by bees

2010-08-31T00:58:00.000-04:00

Swarm of Angry Bees Attack Family

Updated: Monday, 30 Aug 2010, 10:42 PM MDT
Published : Monday, 30 Aug 2010, 10:24 PM MDT

TOLLESON - A swarm of bees have attacked a family at a west valley home, near 121st Ave and Southern.
Firefighters used foam to combat the bees, and carried the children out of the home covering them in sheets.
Three adults, two children, and several horses and dogs were stung, maybe hundreds of times.
One of the family members may have been allergic to bees.
None of the injuries are reportedly life-threatening.
If you are attacked by bees, the best advice is to keep running. They will eventually tire.

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21002090326695/

Comment:

Bees attack family at city park in Dania Beach, Fla.

2010-08-31T00:48:00.001-04:00

DANIA BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A family was sent to the hospital after being stung by bees at a South Florida park.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene at Greenbelt Park, located near Griffin Road and Northwest 10th Avenue near the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Monday.
Tamera Doyle, her daughter and her two grandchildren, ages 2 and 11 months, were stung by bees at the park. Reportedly, the family was rolling down a hill at the park when they disturbed a beehive. "We were at the park. We were walking. We sat down, let the kids play, run around. All of a sudden, my daughter started yelling at me. Something, I couldn't even understand what she was saying at first," said Doyle. "I looked at her, and I just saw swarms around her and the 2-year-old, so I ran and grabbed the baby, the 2-year-old. I thought the 11-month-old in the stroller was far enough out of the way that he wasn't getting swarmed, but he was."
Doyle's daughter called 911, but the bees had already surrounded the family. "There was bees everywhere. I mean, they were in our ears. They were between her and I. They were everywhere, in our clothing, " Doyle said.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue transported the family to Broward General Medical Center. Meanwhile, deputies and county workers blocked off the area from which they believe the bees came.
The children did not have an allergic reaction to the bee stings, and the family is expected to survive. Doyle said, "I've seen it on TV, and you don't realize how terrible it is until you're the one being swarmed, and not even you, until you're watching your children be swarmed."

See the rest of the story here

Rock Climbing bee attack victim tells story of being stung 1500 times

2010-08-24T01:24:00.001-04:00

Rock Climber Decribes Mt. Lemmon Bee Attack; Stung "Upwards of 1,500 Times," He Says

By Ray Stern, Mon., Aug. 23 2010 @ 2:32PM

Image: Courtesy of Robert Mackley

Robert Mackley spent six days in the hospital after being attacked by bees on a rock-climbing route earlier this month.

Robert Mackley was counting the number of bee-sting-marks on his hand the other day, just to help the time go by.
He got to 90 on one hand, before he got to the wrist.
The 26-year-old Tucson rock climber is still recuperating from a nightmare-inspiring, August 10 attack by "killer" bees on Mt. Lemmon. He says he was stung about 1,500 times while fixed in place at the top of a popular climbing route.
"I was hoping to get back to work this week," says Mackley, who works as a carpenter when he's not out scaling cliffs. "I don't think that's going to be possible. I'm still pretty weak."
Last week, following news reports that contained sketchy details about what happened -- including one TV news report that claimed an equipment failure was to blame -- Mackley published his own account of the calamity.

"I'm still covered in bee stings," Mackley says, adding that the stings are like open wounds or embedded cactus needles. The hospital staff tweezed as many as they could.
"Some they pulled out by putting, like, Elmer's Glue on my skin, letting it dry, then peeling it off," he says.
Mackley, his girlfriend, their young child and their two friends, Nick and Jim, had decided to attack an old favorite of Mackley's that fateful afternoon, a route called "Resume Builder." Rated a moderate 5.8 in technical difficulty, it also happened to be the first climbing route that Mackley had ever tackled as a newbie climber several years ago.
Mackley led the near-vertical, 75-foot route and tied into the metal anchors sunk into the rock at the top. Nick went up next, and soon they were both hanging from the gear, feet resting on small ledges.
Soon after Jim had scrambled up, Mackley says, the bees arrived, buzzing loudly, and began their surprise attack.

Mackley lowered the man he had just belayed. That was the easy part -- which was why Jim ended up with "only" about 100 stings. Then had to slam an ATC device (see picture at right) onto the dangling rope for Nick, who had never rappelled before. Five minutes later, he was down -- with about 400 stings.
Unfortunately for Mackley, he had sort of over-tied himself into the anchors at the top of route, given the situation. He'd expected to hang there for a while, showing Nick the ropes, and in the attack the two knots he'd tied through the anchors and into his climbing harness had cinched tight.
Suddenly, his life seemed to depend on untying a figure-eight knot and a clove hitch. But he couldn't do it. Minutes later, his hands were too swollen and numb to even try. He had to hang there and take it.
Rescuers got Mackley down a couple of hours later.

Read the rest of the story here:

Comment:

This type of event is becoming more prevalent as African bees continue to spread through the southern U.S. And the description of getting the knot tangled in the ropes and hardware is something we hear over and over again from tree climbers here in Florida. You can bet you respect bees after such an incident.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

85 yr. old man stung in bee attack begins 2 week rehab

2010-08-23T02:21:00.000-04:00

Austin, Texas: Statesman.com

By Claudia Grisales | Thursday, August 19, 2010, 08:17 AM

An 85-year-old man who was stung 500 times in a bee attack last week has been discharged from the hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday.

Willard Duncan, who was hospitalized in critical condition at University Medical Center Brackenridge eight days ago on August 11, has now begun a full-time, two-week rehabilitation program, said Verda Duncan, 79.

“He still has some swelling,” Verda Duncan said. But “he’s getting better. He’s getting back pretty good.”

The Duncan family —- which includes the Duncan’s 11 children (ranging in ages from 38 to 60), 32 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren —- has been paying closer watch of Willard Duncan since the attack.

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Bees that killed 2 dogs not African Killer Bees

2010-08-23T01:51:00.000-04:00

The bees that fatally stung two dogs last month were honey bees and not the aggressive Africanized strain of bee.

Tests done separately – one in Florida and one in Arizona – came back with the same results, said Casey Mahoney, spokeswoman with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

“They are European honey bees – our native bees,” she said. (note: Honey Bees, Apis mellifera are considered exotic species -- RMM)

As to what happened to the two dogs at a home in Lebanon, Tenn., she said:
“We can’t explain it.”

On July 18, Susan Garner, who had been doing yard work, had walked into her home briefly to get a drink of water.

She heard her Labrador retriever Katie making a fuss and went back out to find her covered with bees. Katie, who had been on a long lead line, died almost immediately.

Susan and husband Kevin Garner’s other dog, a Boston terrier named Petey, was also stung repeatedly but was still alive. He was taken to a veterinary clinic where he died two days later.

The bees had been swarming in a large bundle in a nearby tree at the time of the incident. That’s a time when even bees are particularly docile.

“Bees sting generally in defense of their colony,” she said. “When they’re in a swarm they’re looking for a new home and they’re not defending, so this is odd,” she said.

Apiarists in a couple of states with Africanized bees said they knew of no cases when they had attacked an animal or a person while swarming, she added. (Note: we have encountered African honey bee swarms in Florida that are extremely defensive! -- We ALWAYS recommend removal of feral honey bee colonies when pets, small children or handicapped are nearby -- RMM)

Go here for the rest of the article..

Arizona: This is why you hire a pro: Bees attack couple in Arivaca

2010-08-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

Bees attack couple in Arivaca

By Alex Dalenberg, Green Valley News

Published: Saturday, August 14, 2010 9:18 PM MST

An Arivaca couple and their seven-month-old baby were airlifted to a Tucson hospital on Monday after an attempt to get rid of a bee hive near their home went bad.

Sheriff’s deputies and the Arivaca Fire Department found the couple in a pool of water at about 12:30 p.m. with their baby in the 16000 block of West Arivaca Road, according to a report from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

The couple said they’d been attacked by bees and that both were allergic. They were taken to the fire station and then flown to University Medical Center in Tucson.

The father had multiple stings on his chest, back, arms and legs and was wearing only coveralls. The mother also had multiple stings. The baby was not stung, but was taken to the hospital with the parents. The family was not identified.

The mother told deputies that her husband was trying to get rid of a hive on their property but that when he sprayed it with bee killer, the bees became agitated and started stinging them.

Jerry Young, who owns Buggerbees, a Pima County Bee Removal service, said that since 1993, all bees in Arizona have become Africanized and are much more aggressive. He said the mostly docile European honeybees have slowly been hybridized from breeding with a more aggressive breed of African honey bees which were introduced to the Western Hemisphere in the 1950s.

Since the Africanized bees migrated to Arizona 17 years ago, the bee business has become completely different, Young said.

“With European bees, a couple dozen would attack,” he said. “With Africanized bees, all the bees attack you. That could be thousands of bees.”

A day after the Arivaca attack, a man was stung hundreds of times after he came across a bee hive on Mount Lemmon in Tucson. In June, seven people were stung by bees that swarmed an apartment complex in Casa Grande.

Last year, a Green Valley man was stung an estimated 1,000 times when he and his dog were swarmed nearly their home while on a walk. The man recovered, but the dog died in the attack.

Because bees have become so much more aggressive, homeowners shouldn’t try to remove the bees on their own.

“If people say their grandfather treated his bees, he probably did, but it’s different now,” he said. “Steve Irwin got killed by something that’s not considered dangerous (a stringray). Bees are considered dangerous. It astounds me people take it so lightly.”

[See rest of the article here...]

Thousands raised for horse ranch stung by bee removal cost

2010-08-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

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.

Story continues below

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.

Story continues below

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.

See rest of the story here....

12 Yr. old San Angelo, TX Boy dies after bee attack

2010-08-12T12:36:00.000-04:00

Aug 12, 2010, GOSanAngelo: SAN ANGELO, Texas — A 12-year-old Wall boy died Wednesday night after he was run over by a tractor he was operating near his home, Tom Green County sheriff officials said Thursday morning.
Jason Block, who was shredding around his family’s property, was attacked by a swarm of bees about 7 p.m., sheriff spokesman Lt. Bill Fiveash said. While he tried to get away from the bees, the farm equipment ran over the boy, Fiveash said.
Fiveash said the boy was flown to Shannon Medical Center, where he died from a combination of bee stings and blunt force trauma. An autopsy will not be performed.
Sgt. Johnny Walker is investigating the case for the sheriff’s office.
Deputies were called to 5550 Farm to Market 765 about 7:15 p.m. for a major crash, according to an incident report filed Thursday. When they arrived five minutes later they found a man, later identified as the boy’s father Carl Block, leaning over an unconscious boy with a blanket trying to keep bees off their bodies.
According to the report, medics arrived and placed the boy in an ambulance. At 7:40 p.m. AirMed1 arrived and flew the boy to Shannon.
Block told deputies he received a call from Blake Wilde, who had been driving through the field behind the house when he saw Jason pinned between the shredder and Block’s pump house, surrounded by bees.
Wilde called 9-1-1 and Block, who wasn’t home at the time of the incident, the report states.

Click here for the rest of the article

By Jennifer Rios
San Angelo Standard Times
Posted August 12, 2010 at 8:36 a.m., updated August 12, 2010 at 10:46 a.m.

comment:

New Jersey Man sets self on fire trying to remove bees

2010-08-12T12:09:00.000-04:00

August 1, 2010: WESTWOOD NJ - A 29-year-old man was severely burned Sunday evening after attempting to rid his property of a beehive, police said.
The unidentified victim, of Cardinal Lane, poured several chemicals on the hive, which was outside the residence, said Westwood Police Chief Frank Regino.
"The chemicals reacted...and he was set on fire," Regino said.
A neighbor tried to extinguish the flames, Regino said. A 911 emergency call came into police at 8:13 p.m., and the man, who was severely burned, was airlifted from a field in nearby Washington Township and taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. The house did not catch fire, Regino said.
- Evonne Coutro

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Austin, TX - Bee attack victim still in critical condition

2010-08-12T09:32:00.000-04:00

Elderly man stung 500+ times by bees

Critical but stable after honeybee swarm

Updated: Wednesday, 11 Aug 2010, 6:59 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 11 Aug 2010, 12:34 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - An elderly man stung more than 500 times in a bee swarm was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, but officials were unable to find a hive.
The man was in critical but stable condition on Wednesday after the incident on the city's East Side.
Emergency crews transported the man, who is 85, to University Medical Center Brackenridge .
He was stung while doing yard work at 1000 East 13th Waller St. , near 13th and Waller streets .
A friend of his found him lying in the road and called 911.
“I turned around the corner and seen Mr. Duncan laying on the ground," said Wayne William. "He was lying on his side. His hair was golden and had bees swarming all around. You step out 10-20 feet and there was another perimeter of bees like they built a barricade around him.”
“I got stung in the back of my head and that was my cue to get the hell out of here and that’s what I did,” he said.
Crews arrived to find him in the street with the hundreds of bee stings. Though he was conscious, officials said the man was unable to talk, badly swollen in his face. The man even had bees in his nose, officials said.
In addition, a paramedic received a few treatable stings.
Officials worked for nearly two hours to find the hive, unsure of the location of the bee source, but were unable to locate one. Instead, a beekeeper said it may have been a moving swarm hiding in a grass patch - a patch the victim may have inadvertently mowed over.
“And they get pretty defensive. Like this gentleman mowing the lawnmower. You never want to mow around a bee hive, they don’t like lawnmowers,” said Brandon Ferhenkamp with Austinbees.com .
He has a website that specializes in bee care and treatment.
The beekeper said the bees looked like "your average honeybee," though the beekeper said they were probably agitated.
In addition to private handlers called to the scene, four- to five firefighters donned bee suits to try and assess the situation.
Meanwhile, bee drones swarmed as far as a block away from where the incident happened. The Austin Police Department helped with traffic, blocking off neighborhoods from 12th to 14th streets on Waller Street, including a block east and west. The situation had been cleared Wednesday afternoon.
Swarming is a natural means of reproduction of bee colonies. It's mainly a spring phenomenon, but can also happen during the summer.

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East Austin, TX: Bees attack man, emergency crews

2010-08-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

By Tony Plohetski | Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 12:42 PM

A swarm of hundreds of bees near Waller and 13th streets in East Austin attacked a man and several emergency officials as they responded to the scene this morning, officials said.
Officials said the man, between 60 and 80 years old, was doing yard work about 11:30 a.m. when he was repeatedly stung. He reportedly received up to 500 stings and was taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge in critical condition.
“He received a significant amount of stings,” said Pete Didonato, spokesman for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services.
Firefighters and a medic who responded also were stung, but their injuries are not serious, officials said.
Emergency crews have called a bee keeper to the scene. Streets near the area have been closed.

See the rest of the story here

Comments:

Pima Co. Arizona: Bees attack 3 people hiking near Mount Lemmon

2010-08-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

Posted: Aug 11, 2010 1:16 AM EDT Updated: Aug 11, 2010 1:25 AM EDT

Update: Rescuers were able to get the third hiker down after the bee attack. There is still no word on the conditions of the three people.

By Christina Stymfal

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - Rescuers responded to a bee attack on the road up to Mount Lemmon.

A group of three people were hiking near milepost 0.5, and found a swarm of bees.

Pima County Sheriff's Deputies say the woman and child were able to get away, but the man was not. It's because of this that the call to the Southern Arizona Rescue Association was made.

Rescuers are still working to bring the man to safety. Stay tuned to KOLD News 13 and KOLD.com for updates on this story.

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COMMENT:

2 Menifee CA horses killed by bee attack remembered

2010-08-09T20:14:00.001-04:00

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.

Encenitas, CA man dies after more than 500 bee stings

2010-08-09T20:08:00.000-04:00

ENCINITAS, Calif. (CBS 8) - He was allergic to bee stings and was stung more than 500 times. Landscaper Marco Lazaro never had a chance.

He was clearing brush at his home in Encinitas on Wednesday when a swarm of bees attacked him.

Dr. James LaBelle is an emergency room doctor at Scripps Encinitas. He says most people think they're allergic to bees because the sting site swells after an attack. But those who really are allergic suffer far more serious symptoms.

"It's not just confined to one area, so you can have throat swelling, a rash over the body, a drop in blood pressure and complications from that," Dr. LaBelle said.

Those complications kill about 50 people in the U.S. every year.

Lazaro was operating a backhoe on the property where he lives when he disturbed the hive Wednesday. He tried to run and hide in a portable lavatory, but it was too late. When paramedics arrived he was in full cardiac arrest.

"A great neighbor. You can't pick your neighbors. Your neighbors are your neighbors, but you couldn't get a better neighbor. You couldn't ask for a better neighbor," neighbor Dan Moriarty said.

Bee experts say the hive Lazaro hit had been there for at least three years and was packed with either African bees or a hybrid swarm.

"There were at least 40,000 bees in the colony, maybe 60,000," a bee expert said.

If you're allergic to bees and get stung, medical experts say get to a doctor immediately. If the swelling just stays around the sting sight, you can take care of the pain at home.

"Treat it with ice and elevation, and if there are systemic symptoms -- rash over the entire body, swelling, difficulty swallowing -- seek care," Dr. LaBelle said.

See the rest of the CBS8 article here

Bad luck continues for Pinellas tree trimmer attacked by bees last Saturday

2010-08-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

Safety Harbor, Florida - "It's just another tree," said Ralph St. Peter, pointing at the dead oak he was about to cut down.

Just another tree... seems St. Peter is dead wrong about this dead oak. After all, on Saturday it was this tree that concealed a hefty hive.

"50,000 bees just came straight at me," recalled St. Peter. The killer bees hit places you don't even want to think about. "My whole face was covered, inside my ears, inside my mouth, in my nose-everywhere."

So on Monday, the only buzz this tree trimmer wanted to hear was that of a chain saw. And saw in hand, St. Peter climbed a ladder and got to work.

After 500 bee stings, you'd think St. Peter would take it easy for awhile. But this is the same guy who encounters all kinds of critters, "I've been bit hundreds of times by rattle snakes."

And who once kept working with a broken leg.

"A tree split on him and he broke his leg in three places and he finished the job before he went to the hospital," says co-worker Mike Foster, who calls St. Peter "a tank."

Even so, St. Peter admits Saturday was pretty much his worst day on the job ever. "It was horrible, horrible."

Ever since he was stung, St. Peter has been swarmed by the media and he's looking forward to getting to some jobs without a drama queen bee.

"I just want to get this over with, that's all. Move on to the next job," he says.

More Photos: Bad luck continues for tree trimmer

But even with the bees long gone, this tree continues to "bee-devil." When St. Peter made his last cut, the tree fell in the wrong direction, toppled onto a power line and wound up snapping a light pole.

Maybe this guy should have stayed home.

See the rest of the story here at 10 connects website

July 20, 2010: Honey Bee Research Experts participate in bee health symposium

2010-08-09T19:30:00.000-04:00

Daily Reporter

Posted Jul 19, 2010 @ 12:02 PM

ALFRED —

A condition known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) continues to affect beekeeping, a $15 billion-a-year industry in the United States. Experts will gather Thursday at the Alfred State College of Technology's Orvis Activities Center to talk about CCD, the latest findings and the ongoing impact on Western New York agriculture. Presentations will be made from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m.
The symposium is free and open to the public. People must register in advance by e-mailing the New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group at nysawg@gmail.com or by calling Judy Einach (716) 316-5839. Organizers say there is plenty of space available and no set limit on the number of reservations.
Two presenters are from the Pennsylvania State University Center for Pollinator Research. Maryann Frazier, Penn State extension entomologist, will talk about “A survey of recent research findings regarding honeybee health” and Dr. James Frazier, professor, Department of Entomology, will speak about “Synergistic and sublethal effects of pesticides on honeybees.” Other speakers are from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Services Honey Bee Pollination Lab in Tucson, Ariz. They are Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, research director, who will discuss the question, “Do pesticide contaminants alter the microflora in healthy honeybee colonies?”; Dr. Diana Sammataro will discuss “Beneficial lactic acid bacteria microflora of honeybees”; Dr. Kirk Anderson will address “Microbiota in the stored food sources of social insects” and Dr. Mark Carroll will talk about “Varroa mite attractants; potential solution for varroa mite/viral challenges to honeybees.”
About 90 percent of all crops in North America and in Western New York rely on honeybee pollination, according to the NYSAWG.
“It is not hard to imagine that as honeybees and other pollinator species continue to disappear, our food security is at risk,” NYSAWG members said. “We are just beginning to learn about the causes and the effects of CCD.”
The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced a new national survey to identify honeybee pests and diseases. It hopes will help scientists to determine the prevalence of parasites and disease-causing microorganisms that may be contributing to the nationwide decline of honeybee colonies. CCD may be caused by a variety of factors. Among the factors now being profiled are the impacts on honeybees, and other pollinator species by human-manufactured toxins including pesticides, fungicides, and GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
The symposium is sponsored by Alfred State SUNY College of Technology, Western New York Honey Producers Association, NYSAWG in partnership with the USDA Risk Management Agency, the Learning Sustainability,,, Campaign and Bee Culture, The Magazine of American Beekeeping. For those wishing to bring a picnic lunch, a designated area will be announced at the meeting. Other lunch options will be available on campus and in town.

Comment:

Now, that stings! Escapee bees swarm a.m. commute

2010-08-09T19:28:00.000-04:00

(CNN) -- Imagine driving down the highway amid the typical stream of cars and trucks to suddenly discover millions of bees swarming toward the morning commute.
A truck flipped on its side Sunday on a highway in Sacramento, California, and let loose its cargo of honey bees.
"There was somewhere between six [million] and 16 million of them running around out there," Officer Steve Merchant of the California Highway Patrol told CNN.
The bees stung cops and firefighters who tried to corral them. They buzzed toward nearby businesses and forced them to shut their doors. They prompted authorities to warn drivers to roll up their windows and turn off their air conditioning -- lest a vent suck in a bee or two.
"People were being stung left and right," Merchant said. "It was an ugly, ugly scene." Watch bees swarm the highway »
The bees escaped from their crates when a big rig carrying more than 400 colonies, or hives, flipped on its side on Highway 99 shortly before 10 a.m.
For the next seven hours, authorities brought in handlers who used smoke to calm the bees and coax them back into their colonies. The colonies were packed in crates that were unloaded from the trailer and reloaded on to other trucks.
Officials do not yet know what caused the truck to turn on its side, but said they think the driver may have been driving too fast.

see the rest of the story here

2 attacked by bees in Tempe park

2010-08-09T19:26:00.003-04:00

Two people walking their dog Wednesday in Tempe were attacked by a swarm of bees.

This was the second major bee attack in the Southeast Valley in a week, and experts warn that bee season has begun.

At about 9 a.m Wednesday, Tempe firefighters responded to Hanger Park, near Warner and Rural roads, after receiving a 911 call, Fire Department spokesman Mike Reichling said.

The couple was attacked by bees that had been inside a garbage can they opened at the park. A city employee working nearby called 911.

The man was stung more than 100 times and transported to the hospital in serious condition. The woman was also stung, and went to the hospital with minor injuries.

Last week in Gilbert two dogs were killed and several members of a family stung when a swarm of bees attacked.
more

Comment:

Bees with african genetics ( the so called "Killer Bees" ) will nest in just about any location. Residents of states with known African bees should exercise caution when outdoors. Here in Florida, we at AllFloridaBeeRemoval.com are removing African Bees from the central Florida region south. If you live in MIami, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft Pierce, Daytona, Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Myers and surrounding areas, you are living with "killer bees". If you hear buzzing, BEE AWARE and be prepared to RUN... Distance from the bee colony is your best means of evading serious injury or death. Those individuals who are allergic to hymnopteran (bee, wasp and ants) stings should carry an Epi-pen at all times while outdoors.. --Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist., Feb. 28, 2008

Indian River County , Florida - Front-end loader operator escapes injury after bee incident

2010-08-09T19:26:00.001-04:00

By Henry A. Stephens Wednesday, October 17, 2007

One front-end loader operator Tuesday had reason to be grateful for his cell phone, his air-conditioned cab and county firefighters after he stumbled into an underground bee hive.
"There were about 2,000 to 3,000 bees," said Battalion Chief Dan Dietz with the county Fire Rescue Division. "They were everywhere, on all four glasses sides (of the cab) and on the roof. ...They were definitely in a mass and definitely aggravated."
The man, whose name was not released because of medical confidentiality, only escaped injury because the cab was closed off from the outside and air-conditioned, Dietz said.
And now authorities want to know whether the bees were of the aggressive Africanized variety, commonly known as "killer bees," or of the more familiar and less aggressive European honeybee stock.
Firefighters submitted 15 "excellent specimens" to the county Agricultural Extension Office for testing to determine what type of bees they are, said Violet Krochmalny, a staff assistant with the agency.
She said the two kinds of bees can only be told apart by experts. She said the agency is relaying them to the Florida Division of Plant Industry's bee laboratory in Gainesville and expects results in a couple of weeks.
Dietz said the man was clearing a former grove on the southwest corner of Oslo Road at Interstate 95 about noon Tuesday when somehow he broke into an underground hive.
He said the man used his cell phone to call 911 and continued communicating with firefighters as they worked out the rescue.
Wearing protective "bee hoods," firefighters had the man drive the loader away from the hive and then covered it with the same kind of foam they use to attack spills of hazardous liquids, Assistant Chief Brian Nolan said.
The foam brought flying bees down and trapped those on the cab where they were, he said, after which the man was able to leave the loader and was checked out in the fire engine.
"And there wasn't a single sting," Nolan said.

Comment:

This worker is very fortunate to have had an air conditioned cab on the front end loader and to have had the presence of mind to stay inside the cab. Heavy equipment is particularly prone to stimulating stinging insect defense response, because it's often loud, causing plenty of vibration and emits exhaust fumes. --Richard Martyniak, Oct. 17, 2007

Pompano Beach Kids Stung By Bees During Recess

2010-08-09T19:25:00.004-04:00

(CBS4) POMPANO BEACH

Recess at one South Florida school was cancelled for much of Wednesday after a class playing outdoors was swarmed by bees.

This at happening at Norcrest Elementary School at 3951 Northeast 16th Avenue in Pompano Beach.

Broward Fire Rescue said said 12 kids were stung, and 4 were treated for stings. Two kids who received numberous stings were taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Firefighters were able to locate and then foam the hive, killing the bees.

CBS 4 Pompano Beach link

Comment:

Flour Bluff family mourns victim of bee attack

2010-08-09T19:25:00.002-04:00

KRIS-TV Corpus Christi

An elderly Corpus Christi man was the victim of a deadly bee attack in Flour Bluff Monday night.
David Moxon, 74, was mowing some brush for the Audobon Society, when he was attacked and stung nearly 1000 times.
It happened in a back alley behind a row of houses on the 400 block of Clearview around 6 p.m. His widow said David died doing the job he loved.
"I just told her, I said 'I have bad news,'" Eva Moxan, the victim's widow, said of an emotional phone call she had to make to her step daughter shortly after learning her husband, David, had been killed.
"I didn't want to believe it," she said. "I still don't want to believe it."
Eva was at work, when a swarm of Africanized bees attacked her husband on Monday evening, while he was mowing this brush behind a row of houses.
David may never have seen the bees coming. According to authorities, the beehive was actually buried about 20 feet in the brush.
He was stung nearly 1000 times, and he died before he even made it to the hospital.
"He had bee stings on his head, his arms, his belly, everything...his legs. I mean, he was stung really bad," Eva said.
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Comment:

Texas African ("Killer Bees") Bees attack man on lawnmower

2010-08-09T19:25:00.000-04:00

Associated Press September 24, 2007

Port Lavaca man 'pretty good' after bee attack

PORT LAVACA — A 68-year-old Port Lavaca man using a tractor to mow tall weeds near his mobile home has survived an attack by a swarm of bees.
"I couldn't see under the house and I didn't touch the house but the noise and vibrations set them off. They came out in a tight, very fast swarm. They were all over me," John Tackett said in a report for Tuesday's Victoria Advocate.
A medic responding to the family's call for help on Sunday removed 60 stingers from Tackett's head, ears, throat and neck. Nurses removed an additional 50 stingers.
After the bees began to attack him, Tackett used his cap to protect his eyes and ran toward his home. He was then struck by the realization that the bees would follow him into his home, where his wife waited.
"It was a mind-boggling thing. Especially when I got to the door and realized I couldn't go in. But my wife was standing at the door. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She opened the door and dragged me in."
Bonnie Tackett used a movable showerhead and cold water to wash the bees off while they waited for help.
"I feel pretty good right now, but I think people ought to be warned to be real careful and if they see a bee, get away," John Tackett said on Monday. He said he plans to have someone eradicate the bees.
"These guys, they came out in a calculated storm. They got on me and they just stayed. They were organized. I've never seen bees organized before."

Comment:

African Bees are very defensive of their colony. Loud noises, dark colors and movement will easily provoke a very intense response. People riding lawnmowers comprise a significant proportion of attacks. If you are in an area where African or Africanized bees are known to inhabit, please do a walk-around inspection prior to mowing. --Richard Martyniak

Austin, TX - Bee attack leads to seven-hour outage

2010-08-09T19:24:00.001-04:00

About 130,000 rural customers south of Austin lost phone service for seven hours after bees attacked a construction worker. The worker jumped off his tractor on Tuesday to escape the swarm, hitting a lever that lowered an auger that sliced a fiber-optic line.
That cut landline, cellular and 911 emergency response services for the residents of the rural area in Hays County. Some digital providers in the area still had service.
It took county and telecommunication workers about three hours to determine the outage's cause. Service was restored to most of the county by last night.
Police and emergency workers told residents to go to local fire stations to report emergencies or, if their cell phones worked, to call alternate numbers that routed calls for help through a backup system.

Comment:

The worker probably did the right thing by jumping off the tractor to avoid the bees. When confronted by bees that are attacking, the best thing to do is to leave the area quickly. Heavy equipment is particularly prone to stimulating stinging insect defense response, because it's often loud, causing plenty of vibration and emits exhaust fumes. --Richard Martyniak, Sep. 30, 2007

Arizona African ("Killer Bees") Bees attack man while walking

2010-08-09T19:23:00.001-04:00

NEW: Video coverage : Bees sting man, responding firefighters stung

WIFR.com September 28, 2007

Man survives 1600 Killer Bee stings

A man in Phoenix, Arizona says he has firefighters and doctors to thank for saving his life after being attacked by killer bees.
The attack happened last week, but Jim Anderson is just now able to talk about it.
Anderson says he was walking back to his apartment from the laundry area when he walked under a tree. It was at that moment a huge swarm of bees attacked him. Anderson suffers from fibromyalgia and was unable to run away.
Firefighters arrived and sprayed foam on the man. One firefighter even threw his jacket on Anderson to shield him from the bees.
A week later, Anderson is out of the hospital and back at home. He is covered with red marks and welts where the bees stung him. At first it was thought Anderson was stung about 100-times, but after doctors were able to check him out thoroughly, they upped that number to 16-hundred.
Anderson says he has a lot of "thank yous" to give out, to firefighters and other medical personnel who saved him.

Comment:

This story illustrates just how dangerous african bees can be to those members of the general population that can't or are unable to run away. Infants, Children, Elderly and handicapped people (or those that care for them need to pay special attention to their surroundings. If you do hear a buzzing sound, be prepared to RUN! and seek shelter.. a car, a house, or building. . --Richard Martyniak

Stinging bees chase man; falls, breaks leg

2010-08-09T19:22:00.001-04:00

By GREG JORDAN
BLUEFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH (BLUEFIELD, W.V.)

PRATER, Va. — A man was taken to a Bristol, Tenn., hospital Tuesday after he broke a leg while trying to escape stinging bees.

The Mercy Ambulance Service was dispatched 9 a.m. to a dirt road near Prater after a worker for a local mining or oil company, described as a man in his 30s, broke his left leg while running from bees, said EMT Tina Smitherman.

“He apparently got into some bees and was running to get away, but he tripped and fell,” she said. “He was running on level ground. The human body is a crazy thing. You can fall off a house and not get hurt, but fall down and break your leg. It often depends on how you land.”

The man was taken to Prater Elementary School where he was airlifted to Bristol Regional Medical Center in Tennessee. He had several stings, but his leg injury was the main reason for the airlift, Smitherman said.

Smitherman did not know whether the man had been chased by bees or another type of stinging insect, but Mike Harris of the Virginia Tech Extension Service in neighboring Tazewell County said yellow jackets are a likely culprit. Unlike wasps or bees, yellow jackets nest underground.

“They’re the land mine of stinging insects,” Harris said. “Yellow jackets are some of the most aggressive bees. They’re extremely territorial and extremely defensive. Depending on your immune system, they can be deadly.”

Since yellow jackets nest underground, a person often doesn’t know they are present until somebody has run a lawnmower over the nest or unwittingly disturbed them in some other way, Harris said.

When attacked by yellow jackets and other stinging insects, the only thing to do is separate yourself from them, Harris said. Some might follow a person into a car or house, but at least there are fewer bees to deal with. Yellow jacket nests can be killed off by spraying them with insecticide after dark; during the cooler evening hours, the bees are dormant and less likely to attack.

Honey bees are aggressive, too; especially if they think the hive’s queen is in danger, Harris said. The fact they nest above ground makes them easier to spot and avoid.

Aggressive stingers that occasionally makes headlines are the African or “killer” bees now seen in Texas. Harris said these African bees have been seen in Covington, Va., after they “hitched a ride” aboard railroad cars, but none have managed to settle in the state to the best of his knowledge. They have trouble tolerating cold weather.

“These cold winters are the best insecticide we can get,” he said.

Greg Jordan writes for the Bluefield (W.Va.) Daily Telegraph.

Comment:

Bees attack in San Bernardino

2010-08-09T19:21:00.001-04:00

ason Pesick, Staff Writer
DailyBulletin.com
SAN BERNARDINO - Bartolo Carreon's plans to fix up his home did not go well with a big group of his neighbors. The problem was not with the neighbors who live on his street, but with the ones who live in his tree.
Carreon, 43, was trimming a tree in his backyard Monday afternoon, when he disturbed a bee hive. The bees responded with overwhelming force, repeatedly stinging him and his two dogs.
"It was bad, let me tell you," Carreon said at his home on 16th Street, which he has been renovating since he moved in a few months ago.
The bees stung him seven times around his head, face and arms, then chased and repeatedly stung two of his dogs, Cuco, a German Shepherd, and Nala, a Labrador.
This was not the first serious bee attack in the county this year. In May, Africanized bees killed three mastiffs in Hesperia. While it's not clear whether Monday's bees were Africanized honey bees, known as killer bees, the vast majority of bees in the county are. County vector control officials went to Carreon's house Monday afternoon to neutralize the hive. Carreon's dogs seemed fine and he was planning to take them to the veterinarian as a precaution.
The bees chased Nala around the backyard and sent Cuco running down the street to get away."They followed me far away from the house," Carreon said of the bees.Carreon's wife, Mary Carreon, was able to get Nala in the front door, and firefighters showed up to help.
If bees attack, Joe Krygier, the county's vector control supervisor, recommends running in a straight line and getting behind a closed door. He does not recommend hiding in a body of water because the bees will wait and attack when the person comes up for air. It's also not a good idea to do what Carreon did, which was use a hose to try getting rid of the bees.

Comment:

Johnston Co. , TX - Bees sting Cattle Workers

2010-08-09T19:20:00.000-04:00

* Sep. 24, 2007 Andrea Kurys, KTEN News.
*
* Two people in Johnston County are recovering after they were attacked by a swarm of what medical officials believe are Africanized Honey Bees. The victims were rushed to the University Medical Center in Durant Friday morning following the attack. KTEN's Andrea Kurys reports.
*
* The two victims were working with cattle on the ranch when they were attacked by swarms of bees and stung dozens of times. A woman who was nearby was able to spray the bees off of them with a garden hose, and they were rushed to a local hospital.
*
* The doctor who examined the men told them he thought they may have been attacked by Africanized Honey Bees...or "killer bees" as they are sometimes called. The victims were held for several hours for observation, but have been released and are doing fine.
* Brent Smith is a friend of the men says nobody has gone back to the site since the attack because the bees are still swarming the area.
*
* "When the call came in to me, when we were talking and discussing with people who were on the scene," he said, "there was a suspicion that that maybe what they were, because the bee being solid black, it was definitely not a honeybee, we could recognize that pretty quickly. But their reaction, the victims are doing real well at this point, they're sore and really shook up as you can imagine. They were covered in bees."
* At this point, the Department of Agriculture is taking DNA samples to confirm if they really are Africanized Honey Bees. In the meantime, officials want residents living in that area to take extreme precaution.
*
* If you do encounter any bees, Department of Agriculture officials say do not use hornet or wasp spray because it will enrage them and cause them to attack even more. Of course, we will continue to follow any developments with this story.

Comment:

Though her effort was valiant, trying to ward off African or Africanized bees by spraying with a water hose simply does not work. The best course of action is to get as far away as possible from the african (killer) bee colony, or to seek protection inside a building or vehicle. Better to have a few bees with you in a car than thousands outside the protection of a car. Also, the advice against using wasp spray on a bee or yellow jacket colony is very good. These colonies just have too many individuals for spray cans of wasp freeze. A reputable pest control professional with stinging insect experience is the best way to deal with feral bee colonies --Richard Martyniak, Sep. 30, 2007

More Africanized Bees Found in New Orleans Area

2010-08-09T19:17:00.000-04:00

Louisiana Dept. of Agriculture & Forestry

Another confirmed positive Africanized honeybee sample in the New Orleans area indicates the bees are most likely established there now, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Bob Odom said today.

The positive sample was found in a trap along the Mississippi River in St. Bernard Parish about five miles downriver from a confirmed find earlier this year. The location is about one mile south of Meraux and two miles southeast of Chalmette.

“In January, a colony of Africanized honeybees was found in a St. Bernard Parish house being torn down because of damage from Hurricane Katrina. The proximity of this find indicates the bees could be a swarm from that colony or could be from a ship or barge passing by on the river,” Odom said. “Although the exact source can’t be identified, we have to assume Africanized honeybees are now established in the area and people should be careful when working outside.”

The Department of Agriculture and Forestry maintains Africanized honeybee traps along a north-south corridor through the state and at all deepwater ports. These traps will continue to be utilized in monitoring the progression of Africanized honeybees across the state.

So far this year, LDAF’s New Orleans District has collected 40 samples from traps near the Mississippi River and the port. Five of the samples were sent to the USDA for further confirmation. Of those, three were negative, one was positive and one is pending results.

Africanized bees are smaller and more aggressive than the European honeybees commonly raised for honey production. Their hostile nature concerns many outdoor enthusiasts.

“Because Africanized bees have been labeled ‘killer bees’ for years, there’s an idea around that they are bigger than European honeybees,” Odom said. “The truth is they’re actually smaller but a lot fiercer.”

The venom in Africanized bees is the same as that in European bees, but Africanized bees will sting in greater numbers leading to a toxic reaction in some cases. Experts recommend seeking cover immediately to reduce the number of stings in a confrontation with Africanized bees.

Africanized honeybees were first discovered in Louisiana in July 2005 when LDAF received notification from USDA that samples sent to the national bee lab in Tucson, Ariz., were confirmed as the Africanized variety. The samples were taken in June 2005 from a swarm of bees found in a trap near the town of Rodessa in north Caddo Parish. It was the first case of Africanized bees moving into the state through natural range expansion. Since then, they have steadily moved east through the state most recently being confirmed near Pecan Island and Turkey Creek.