How to Survive a Swarm of 2,000 Africanized Bees

Slate
Science
The state of the universe.
Oct. 17 2014 12:03 PM

What’s So Dangerous About “Killer Bees”?

Humans can survive more than 1,000 stings, but swarms can be even bigger.

africanized_bee

A huge swarm of bees killed one landscaper and injured several more in Arizona this month after they got too close to a huge hive. Based on the bees’ aggression, officials believe they were Africanized honey bees, or so-called “killer bees,” the spread of which has been in and out of U.S. headlines for more than 30 years.

The video above tracks the unlikely rise of the hybrid bees and how to survive an escalating encounter with them.

Rachel Stewart is an editor who lives in Philadelphia. Check out her work here.

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