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

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

BEE ATTACK THAT KILLED 4 DOGS RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT VACANT PROPERTIES

RIVIERA BEACH, FL - Nancy Hill never saw them coming.

On Oct. 24, she was walking her two dachshunds, Drax and Gertrude, in her suburban Woodbine neighborhood. A pit bull belonging to a neighbor was loose in the street, so Hill handed the leashes to her friend, Sue Beaty, and approached the house of the owner.

In between stood a home owned by snowbirds who had been away for months.

What happened next has some South Florida homeowners and bee experts concerned not only about the uninhabited homes of snowbirds, but also the many houses that have been foreclosed on and abandoned over the past year.

Unknown to Hill, bees - between 2,000 and 3,000 of them - had nested behind a shutter of that house and constructed a large hive that contained about 50 pounds of honey. It was a trove the bees were determined to defend.

Either the loose dog or another pit bull tied nearby had gotten too close and provoked the bees.

"I never saw a cloud coming toward me," Hill, 70, said. "First I swatted a bee on the left side of my face. Then I swatted at one on the right. The next thing I knew there were 100 of them right on me."

Hundreds more were in the air and they were relentless.

"They were stinging me right through my clothes," said Hill, who says she was stung about 25 times on her head and 75 times over her body.

Hill's two dachshunds, which Beaty tied to a tree when she ran to help Hill, were attacked and later died.

"Those poor dogs had so many stingers in their heads that you could hardly see their hair," said Beaty, who was stung about 30 times.

The two pit bulls also were killed.

When Florida Department of Agriculture bee experts in Gainesville heard about the attack they thought one thing: It might be super aggressive Africanized bees, which have appeared in recent years in South Florida and which multiply much more quickly than normal bees.

In such cases, samples are often gathered of the dead bees after the hive has been neutralized. The Gainesville experts determine if they are Africanized bees, which have slightly different structures than other bees.

But Dave Hasz, service manager of a company called Critter Control who was summoned to dispose of the hive, said the bees were not Africanized. He said the hive was only about 2 feet off the ground and Africanized bees would have probably attacked long before the dogs provoked them. For example, landscapers coming near the hive with loud equipment would have likely been ambushed.

"If they had been Africanized bees they would have been more aggressive," Hasz said.

That surprised Beaty.

"I can't imagine bees being any more aggressive. It was a nightmare," she said.

Whether they were European bees or their more aggressive cousins, the experience has worried Beaty, president of the Woodbine homeowners association.

"We have other snowbirds who own homes here and they will be coming down soon," she said. "We're going to want them to do careful checks of their property to make sure they don't have the same situation. We wouldn't want this to happen again."

In addition to those snowbird residences, South Florida is dotted with many houses that have been foreclosed on and abandoned.

"Yes, those are the kinds of places that could be a problem as well," said Jerry Hayes, the chief bee expert for the state department of agriculture. "People need to be careful."

Hayes renewed a standing warning: don't try to dispose of a hive yourself. Stay away and call private pest control professionals.

Bees can be extremely dangerous. Robert E. Davis, 51, was demolishing an old trailer on April 9 in Okeechobee when Africanized bees, living in an empty fuel tank attached to the structure, attacked.

Davis, who was allergic to bee stings, died the next day and is listed as the first Florida fatality caused by Africanized bees. Across the country, more than a dozen deaths have been reported.

The sting of an Africanized bee is no more toxic than a normal bee sting. But Africanized bees attack in far greater numbers.

The Africanized bee was first seen in Brazil in the 1950s. Brazilians had imported bees from South Africa to increase honey production and pollinate other crops. Those African bees were particularly aggressive and when they crossbred with European bees in Brazil, the Africanized bees were born.

They headed north, reportedly showed up in Texas in 1990, spread through the Southwest and to Louisiana in recent years.

Meanwhile, they have come to South Florida on ships from Central and South America, spreading from ports, and reproducing quickly.

"European bees reproduce about two to three times per year and Africanized bees, 15, 16, 17 times per year," Hayes said.

The bees can't be eradicated, he said, because as pollinators they are too important to the agriculture industry. Strawberries, watermelons, blueberries and squash are among the crops that depend on them.

Meanwhile, South Florida will have to learn to live with them. Hayes said there is one principal prescription for people who stumble on hives and provoke the bees:

"Run, run, run, run, run." (John Lantigua, Palm Beach Post, 12/6/08.)

BEE SWARM ATTACKS CHILDREN AT LEHIGH BUS STOP

FT MEYERS, FL --- A hive containing thousands of bees that had been stinging children at a bus stop in Lehigh Acres has been removed.

Lee County Sheriff's deputies responded Monday morning to a vacant house at the corner of Martin Avenue and 30th Street SW, where they found 100,000 bees in a hive that was three feet long and dangling from the ceiling of the back patio.

Deputies called a bee expert to dismantle the hive, which has since been removed.(Rachel Meyers, Ft Myers News-Press, 11/25/08.)

ASSE ISSUES ALERT, TIPS FOLLOWING DEADLY BEE ATTACKS IN FLORIDA

DALLAS, TX --- The American Society of Safety Engineers is urging employers, employees, and residents to be aware of the danger of aggressive Africanized honey bees following an attack on a woman and her dogs in a South Florida neighborhood.

Published reports say a 70-year-old woman was injured recently and her dogs were killed after a swarm of bees attacked them. Later, the bees attacked two other neighborhood dogs killing one.

To increase workplace safety for outdoor workers and prevent further attacks, ASSE has reissued a safety tip sheet it developed and a list of resources on bee safety.

"These bees are very dangerous," said ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM. "They multiply quickly, and people should have wild bee hives removed by an authorized pest control vendor or risk injury."

Recommendations in ASSE's "Bee Safe Quick Guide," listing tips from the Texas A&M University honey bee information site, include actions to take if you find bees on your property:

* Stay away from all honey bee swarms and colonies.
* Get away from bees as quickly as possible.
* While running away, protect your face and eyes as much as possible.
* Take shelter in an enclosed area, such as a car, truck, or building.
* Call a local beekeeper, pest control company, or local cooperative extension agent for assistance.
* Do not hide in water or thick brush.
* Do not stand still and swat at bees; rapid movements will cause them to sting.

The site also has tips for what to do should you get stung. More information on bee safety is available at www.asse.org/newsroom/safetytips/honeybeetips.php. (Occupational Health Safety - Dallas,TX, 11/12/08.)

BEES ATTACK LAKE WORTH MAN, NEIGHBORS WORRY

LAKE WORTH, FL -- A Lake Worth community is buzzing with concern, after bees attacked a man.

But, the homeowner has no immediate plans to solve the problem.

The bees have been thriving outside a mobile home for more than six weeks.

"On a hot day, like when its 80, 85 degrees. It's worse than this," said neighbor Nina Flores-Horton. "It's a lot worse. You cannot come out here without getting attacked by one."

Nina Flores-Horton says the swarm chased her husband down the block, stinging him at least 15 times, moments after he started mowing the lawn.

"I don't know what to do." said Flores-Horton. "I'm just at my wits end."

So what can do when your home is surrounded by these honey-making creatures? Well, you can call an expert, a beekeeper.

"This is what will keep the bees calm when were working with them," said Mark McCoy. His family has been handling bees for three generations.

The Loxahatchee man says the stingers are more aggressive as the temperature rises. Rumbling noises also fires them up.

"People using lawnmowers or weed eaters, you've got to be aware of your surroundings when you're out there," said McCoy.

He adds that the best thing to do is remove the nest. That will stop the bees from coming back in the future.

Otherwise: "They get bigger and bigger and bigger," said McCoy. "Usually the colony will get more aggressive as time goes on."

Back in Lake Worth, homeowner Wanda Valdez did not answer the door.

But those who run Palm Beach Mobile Homes say they're working with her to clear the bees.

"She's got these decorative blocks that are concreted in," said maintenance supervisor Frank Rogers. "It's kind of hard to get under there."

We're told the swarm will be removed within days of the homeowner's consent.

That moment could not come soon enough for Flores-Horton.

"I just want it taken care of," she said. "Do something. Don't keep making us suffer for it."

Meanwhile, frogs continue feasting on the hive. (WPTV-5 News, Jesse Chavez, 11/6/08.)

BEES ATTACK SHOPPERS, FIREFIGHTERS AT STORE

MESA, AZ --- A swarm of bees attacked several shoppers and Mesa firefighters early Wednesday after an extermination crew attempted to destroy two hives on a store's roof in east Mesa.

The bee extermination team tried to kill the insects Tuesday by placing pesticide strips inside the two hives above Babies R' Us at Signal Butte and Baseline roads, according to deputy fire chief Mike Dunn.

When the crew returned on Wednesday, the bees became aggressive and attacked several shoppers.

Dunn said the manager of Babies R' Us immediately closed the store at 11:30 a.m. and ushered remaining customers out the back door. A Ross clothing store next door also closed, he said.

One woman was treated for four to five bee stings after she complained of labored breathing and several firefighters also were stung by the angry bees, he said.

The fire department killed the bees and destroyed the hives with a foam spray. (Devon Hersom, East Valley Tribune, 11/5/08.)

ERATH COUNTY WOMAN RECOUNTS KILLER BEE ATTACK

DUBLIN, TX --- An Erath County woman, devastated over the loss of her dogs in a recent bee attack, decided to recount her traumatizing experience to warn others.

Karen McClatchy, who lives near Dublin, survived the attack last month, but her desperate attempt to save her Australian Shepherd, Angel, and her Red Heeler, Charlie Brown, was in vain.

Ms. McClatchy said she doesn't know where the bees - most likely Africanized honeybees - came from or whether they made a home for themselves near her ranch house.

She had just tied up Charlie Brown and Angel on Oct. 20 and was about to feed her other animals when she heard yelping. She thought Angel was aching to be with "mama." Instead, she was covered in "a blanket of bees" about 4 inches thick. Soon, Ms. McClatchy was too.

She ran as fast as she could into the house with bees in tow and locked herself in the bathroom. She sprayed herself in the shower and raked the bees out of her hair. "The bathtub was full of bees!" she said.

Despite being stung over and over, she could only think about her baby Angel. (Charlie Brown was already dead.)

Each time Ms. McClatchy attempted to venture outdoors to face the bees, they attacked. The fifth time, armed with wasp spray and hose and protected by a ski mask and hunting jacket, she "went to war."

"I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to get her loose," she said. When Angel was freed, she said, "Run, baby, run!"

But the damage was done. Angel's neck was swollen. Ms. McClatchy crushed Benadryl in a syringe for Angel, but that didn't seem to help. Her seizures prompted an emergency vet visit. After a few hours, Angel died.

"In my wildest dreams, I didn't think my dog wouldn't survive," she said.

Ms. McClatchy said she has been wondering what she could have done differently. Ms. McClatchy wants to prevent others from experiencing her ordeal.

"Bees will suffocate you," she said. "I see one bee I'm out of here. I don't even think I'll eat honey again. I don't want anything to do with a bee." (Blanca Cantú, The Dallas Morning News, 11/3/08

POLICE BELIEVE MAN WAS FIGHTING OFF BEES WHEN ELECTROCUTED

HOUSTON, TX --- A man in a tree was electrocuted this afternoon after hitting a power line while trimming branches, officials said.

The man, apparently a contract worker whose identity was not released, was working with a 12-foot pole with a cutting blade when he was attacked by bees or other insects and flailed his arms, Houston Police Sgt. John Chomiak said.

The incident, in the 5900 block of Pine Forest Road in southwest Houston, remains under investigation. (Houston Chronicle, 10/31/08.)

BEES KILL 3 DOGS, ATTACK WOMAN

RIVIERA BEACH, FL - A 70-year-old woman was injured and three dogs were killed after a swarm of bees attacked a neighborhood in South Florida.

Authorities say crews removed 50 pounds of honeycomb and contained the hive from the side of a home in Palm Beach County after the attack.

The bees swarmed Nancy Hill and her two dogs. Hill was treated at a hospital where doctors removed the multiple stingers, but the dogs died. The bees also attacked two other dogs in the neighborhood. One of those died and the other was injured.

Lab tests should determine whether the bees were Africanized bees, also known as "killer bees."

"Killer bees" or Africanized honeybees, are similar to European honeybees except they have a gene that makes them more aggressive. The sting is the same in both sets of bees and that there is no poison or venom. What makes them deadly is their aggressive nature.

Africanized bees perceive any disturbance of their nest as a threat, so they'll chase any animal or person that disturbs their home for as much as a quarter of a mile. Their persistence is legendary, so much so that government brochures with advisories on Africanized honeybees urge people to run, with upper case letters and exclamation points, to a safe area.

John Capinera, chairman of the University of Florida's entomology department, said people should assume they are dealing with an Africanized bee if the insect is acting aggressively.

"Most times, bees are fairly docile," Mr. Capinera said. "Africanized bees, if they are disturbed, swarm out in large numbers and attack."

Experts say they have been in Florida since 2002. The state has about 500 traps all around Florida to monitor the bees.

An Okeechobee County a man died in April after being stung more than 100 times by bees that officials think were Africanized honey bees. Medical officials say he had a fatal reaction to the bee stings. It was reported as the first death in Florida caused by the aggressive bees, although there have been at least 17 deaths caused by the bees across the United States since 1990.

They have killed roughly 1,000 people in the Americas since the bees' ancestors escaped from a Brazilian lab in 1957.

Economically, Africanized bees are less beneficial. They don't produce as much honey, they pollinate crops less efficiently and their temper makes them much more difficult to maintain. (North Florida News Daily, 10/27/08.)

BEES KILL 3 DOGS, INJURE WOMAN, 70

RIVIERA BEACH, FL - Bees that had been living on the shutters of a vacant house in the Woodbine neighborhood have killed three dogs and injured a 70-year-old woman.

Nancy J. Hill stepped outside her Dorado Drive home at about 4:30 p.m. Friday to walk her two dachshunds. She made it 15 feet from the door when the bees swarmed her, then killed the 7-year-old dogs, Hill's husband Brian said.

"They were out to hurt seriously," said Brian Hill, who was stung a couple of times himself. "It wasn't a question of physical size. These guys were really powerful."

Palm Beach County Animal Control said Friday that the bees also stung two pit bills, killing one and sending the other to the hospital.

Emergency officials transported Nancy Hill to the hospital, where she remained for several hours Friday night while medical personnel removed stingers, her husband said.

Police restricted access to Dorado Drive from about 5 p.m. Friday through noon Saturday so that officials could contain the swarm. They advised residents to stay inside with their pets. At about noon, pest control workers destroyed the hive, and the street reopened.

Animal Control Capt. Dave Walesky said Friday it would take lab tests to determine whether the bees were Africanized "killer" bees. (Mitra Malek, Palm Beach Post, 10/25/08.)

PASSER-BY GETS CREDIT FOR SAVING BEE-ATTACK VICTIM

CAMPO, CA - Wayne Thibodeau set out Oct. 16 for a simple task: to help cut down a dead oak tree in his friend's yard.

Within hours, Thibodeau, 69, a retired ironworker, was on his hands and knees, fighting off thousands of honeybees. He endured hundreds of stings, as well as a heart attack, said his wife, Frankie Thibodeau, 62, and had to spend six days in the hospital, including four in intensive care.

He is expected to make a full recovery, for which Frankie credits a stranger - Samantha Richards, 21, of Campo.

"I would be a widow today," said Frankie, a retired commercial rabbit breeder. "If she hadn't done what she did, he would be dead."

The trouble started at the friend's house on Buckman Springs Road in Campo when a tree limb hit the ground. That limb contained a massive number of honeybees. Once it fell, they started pouring out, and they weren't happy.

The bees came after Wayne and his friends - but especially targeted Wayne because he was on a small tractor whose noise Frankie believes attracted them.

Richards happened to be driving through the area with her 2-year-old son as the men were trying to fight off the bees. She knew one of Wayne's friends and told him to hop into her truck. She then drove to help Wayne and the others. Richards, who has taken emergency medical technician training, tried to wash the bees off Wayne and helped remove dozens of stingers from him. She also called 911.

Richards said her training prepared her for that moment. She said she just likes helping people.

"I was just at the right place at the right time," Richards said.

Frankie is grateful.

"Maybe it was supposed to be that she was looking out for him," Frankie said of Richards. "Who knows? It gives me a little more faith." (Michele Clock, Union-Tribune, 10/25/08.)

NILAND BEES KILL ONE MAN, HOSPITALIZE TWO FIREFIGHTERS

NILAND, CA --- Niland Fire Department says 42 year-old Darren Dragoo died on Thursday from bee stings.

The fire chief says the man was riding his motorized wheelchair near 4th and Mentis Streets when a swarm of bees attacked him.

Niland and Calipatria Firefighters responded to the emergency call. They too were stung and taken to the hospital. Several other people assisting Dragoo were also stung multiple times. We're told one of the Niland Firefighters who was repeatedly stung had an allergic reaction. He was air lifted to the hospital. Several others were also taken to the hospital via ambulance.

The Imperial County Health Department is waiting on test results to find out what type of bees stung Dragoo. Imperial County Vector Control took several the bees to be tested.

County Health officials say the Imperial Valley is home to thousands of bees.

Experts say if you're under attack.... The best thing to do is run in a straight-line as fast as you can and get into some sort of structure--- house or car.

If you get stung... Scrape the stinger out of your skin with a card. You never pinch or pull them out because that releases the venom into your skin. Of course, if you're stung multiple times... Go to the hospital because it can result in death. (KSWT-13 News, 9/19/08.)

ALLEGED KILLER BEES CREATE TROUBLE IN GILBERT NEIGHBORHOOD

Swarm of bees terrorizing neighborhood

GILBERT, AZ -- "I guess it's a huge concern for everyone on the block."

Rob Crill lives in a cul de sac on the western side of Gilbert where some not-so-welcome neighbors have moved in.

Some bees found a home in the eaves of one of the houses, and they're proving pretty dangerous.

"A pest control guy came over to our house when he did our house and said if we knew about this guy's house over here cause he saw them himself, and he said that he thought they were African type bees." Crill says.

Maricopa County Environmental Services isn't able to say if these really are aggressive Africanized bees, but they've already stung several neighbors.

Those neighbors went to the homeowner to demand a change, but they didn't get a friendly response.

"They went and talked to him and (they) said 'I hope the bees go to your house I don't know why they're at mine.'"

The neighbors registered a complaint with the county, which gave the Homeowners with the bee problem 48 hours to solve the pest problem. (azfamily.com, 9/16/08.)

3 PEOPLE AND HORSE ATTACKED BY BEES IN TUCSON

TUCSON, AZ ---- Three people and a horse were attacked by a swarm of bees in Tucson Sunday.

It happened shortly before 10:30 a.m. at a stable in Tucson's Eastside.

Firefighters said each person was attacked between 30 to 40 times each, but they're expected to be okay.

The horse's face was stung multiple times as well. The animal was treated by a veterinarian.

Firefighters say it's important to know that these bees can kill. You shouldn't try to remove them yourself, but leave it to the experts. (KNXV-TV 15, 9/15/08.)

SEYMOUR MAN ATTACKED BY BEES

SEYMOUR, TX ----Bryan Birkenfeld wanted to take advantage of the good weather, and decided to mow his backyard. He rounded a shed and heard a loud buzzing over the sound of the lawn mower.

"At first I thought I'd stirred up a yellow jackets nest. It only took them a few seconds before they had me covered," Birkenfeld says.

Birkenfeld ran for the water hose to get the bees off him, and then he ran to the garage.

Birkenfeld says, "It doesn't feel good. The bees got all over my face and head and tried to crawl in my ears nose and mouth, you'd have to wipe them off."

His wife heard his cries for help and called 911. Doctors removed more than 300 stingers from his body.

Seymour Bee Keeper Lee Wayne McGuire says, "Anything can excite them, can set them off for no reason at all. That's what I've found."

The bees are preparing their hive for winter and become defensive. Experts say you should be very careful outdoors, and if you find a hive -- call an expert to remove it.

Birkenfeld says, "It's like somebody has given you a shot, and that's what they've done. They gave me 300 shots of bee venom."

Seymour Police Chief Tommy Duncan says, "We called the exterminator down here, and he looked at them. He's contained them and tomorrow he's going to finish doing what he needs to do."

Birkenfeld says the bees did help him, now he has an excuse not to mow the lawn. Officials aren't sure what kind of bees attacked Mr. Birkenfeld. They'll be able to take a closer look tomorrow. They do ask people near the four hundred block of South Stratton in Seymour to be aware of the situation, and keep a close eye on children in the area.( Ann Arnold , KFDX - Wichita Falls,TX, 9/15/08.)

BEES ATTACK HORSE STABLE

TUCSON, AZ --- A massive bee attack left three people and a horse injured on Tucson's Eastside.

Tucson Firefighters say they were called out to horse stable in the 9,000 block of Sellarole -- near Golf Links and Harrison this afternoon.

They say each person was attacked more than 30 times. But they are all expected to be okay.

The bees attacked the horse in the face, the animal had to be treated by a veterinarian. (Martha Serda, KOLD-TV 13 News, 9/14/08.)

BEES ATTACK TEENS AT LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN PRESERVE IN PHOENIX

PHOENIX, AZ --- Two teenagers hiking on Lookout Mountain Saturday evening were attacked by a swarm of bees.

Phoenix Fire officials say the two were slightly off the trail when they noticed the bees.

They were stung about a dozen times.

One had to be transported to the hospital because he was showing signs of an allergic reaction.

The boys told officials they saw another woman who appeared to have been having problems as well.

Fire officials searched the area and didn't find her and assume she made it down on her own.(Angie Holdsworth, KNXV-TV 15 News, 9/13/08.)

SWARM OF BEES ATTACKS 2 PEOPLE, PIT BULL

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- After hurrying home from work Sunday to catch the Dallas Cowboys opening game, Joe De La Rosa was alerted by his wife about a situation outside his West Side residence.

Fresh from a shower and still dressed only in his underwear, De La Rosa stepped outside to investigate.

"I just see a million bees on my dog," he said. "I don't know if we have a nest out there or what, but I've never seen so many bees."

Responding to a call about a bee attack, San Antonio fire crews battled a swarm of the feisty flying insects for more than two hours Sunday afternoon in the 900 block of West Kings Highway, where a family of six was temporarily held hostage inside their home until emergency responders could safely escort them to an ambulance.

At least two people and an 8-month-old pit bull were stung during the attack.

The two people, including a motorcyclist who reportedly was knocked off his bike after being attacked by the insects, were not seriously injured, San Antonio Fire Captain Steven Boldway said.

"The dog took the brunt of it," he said.

The swarm, estimated in the thousands, emerged from inside the walls of the house, but it is unknown what prompted the attack, Boldway said. Crews worked into the early evening tearing holes into walls with gas-powered saws so a bee-control worker could spray the remaining swarm with a "soap solution."

De La Rosa's family escaped the attack untouched, but his pit bull, Rocco, wasn't as lucky. Suffering from multiple stings, the dog reportedly still was being stung by bees more than an hour after the attack initially was reported.

Around 6 p.m., a firefighter told De La Rosa that his dog was at a neighbor's house, still battling a small swarm of leftover bees. "I just need to get him some help as soon as possible," De La Rosa told the firefighter.

About 15 minutes later, De La Rosa was escorted in a firetruck to pick up the dog. He returned minutes later, leading it on a leash. The dog reportedly was en route to a veterinarian before fire crews finished fighting the bees.

"He's a pit bull, so they're pretty tough," Boldway said. ( David Saleh Rauf, San Antonio Express-News, 9/8/2008.)

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