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Nature & Environment

Man dies after being attacked by 800,000 bees

By T.K. Randall
October 9, 2014 · Comment icon 18 comments

The bees proved deadly as they attacked the two men. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Hola Mundo
The massive swarm of bees had been unwittingly unleashed by two men working at a house in Arizona.
The house, which was situated in the town of Douglas on the state border with Mexico, was undergoing garden maintenance when two workmen managed to disturb a previously undiscovered beehive located in the building's attic.

The pair immediately found themselves running for cover as they became engulfed in a huge swarm of several hundred thousand bees. One of the men was stung around 100 times while the other was stung so many times that he collapsed.
When paramedics arrived at the scene they found him in respiratory arrest and couldn't revive him. The other man was taken to hospital but went on to make a full recovery.

The fire department later discovered a 6ft nest in the house's attic that appeared to have been there for the better part of a decade. Remarkably the 90-year-old man who lived in the house somehow managed to escape the ordeal without a single sting.

Source: Sky News | Comments (18)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #9 Posted by Mikenator 10 years ago
Stay away from bees kids they'll give you a bzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Comment icon #10 Posted by highdesert50 10 years ago
These are the Africanized bees or more appropriately named killer bees that have displaced the rather benign "native" bees in the southwest. The killer bees are particularly bothersome as they are extremely aggressive and will pursue an intruder in great numbers for up to half a mile. There are fatalities every year to also include unfortunate horses who are corralled and unable to flee.
Comment icon #11 Posted by Sundew 10 years ago
all honeybees in north America are ferrel ie released by man, including the Africanized bees. That's because we brought plants from Europe that were naturally pollinated by the Honeybee and we also have a sweet tooth. Native bees might not be as good at pollinating non-native food crops, nor or they as good at honey production. As with all these stories, I always wonder - whose job was it to count all the bees. An estimate no doubt, based on the size of the hive. A six foot high beehive in an attic could contain a huge number. It is amazing that neighbors never saw the bees entering and leavin... [More]
Comment icon #12 Posted by bobb73 10 years ago
That stings
Comment icon #13 Posted by GreenmansGod 10 years ago
Glad to see bees surviving somewhere. I've not seen a single one in my yard or garden for several years now. Harte I bet these where Africanize bees. I have lots of bees around. I plant to attract wildlife and that includes bees. The other day I was out doing some yard work and I was trimming this tree that was over growing my yard. As I started I heard all this buzzing. The tree was full of bees and they were buzzing loud. Regular European bees will warn you to back off is you disturb them. They let me know where not done using that tree, so I decided I could wait until the tree quit blooming... [More]
Comment icon #14 Posted by Myles 10 years ago
there may have been 800,000 bees, but he only got stung 100 times according to fox news. The guy who survived had 100 stings from what I read. Not sure about the guy who died. I remember back in the 1970's when there was reports of "killer bees" coming into the states from Mexico. Thought was that in a couple years, they would be as far north as Chicago. Inspired a few movies back then too. I noticed some bees going into a hole in my siding. As I was watching, it was a steady stream going in and out. I've purchased some boric acid that I have been blowing into the hole for a week now. The numb... [More]
Comment icon #15 Posted by Michelle 10 years ago
Myles, if they are yellow jackets or wasps they will build their nest in a new place in the spring. Many of them die off in the winter. Honeybees, however, are a different story. Considering their decline, it might be worth having someone move them.
Comment icon #16 Posted by bobb73 10 years ago
Africanized bees or regular honeybees colonize, and without elaborating most survive the winters. Yellow jackets, hornets and wasps basically peak late summer and the queen and the last round of pupae survive the winter and the cycle continues, with the workers and drones dying off after the first few frosts.
Comment icon #17 Posted by Harte 10 years ago
I remember back in the 1970's when there was reports of "killer bees" coming into the states from Mexico. Thought was that in a couple years, they would be as far north as Chicago. Inspired a few movies back then too. Not to mention an ongoing skit on SNL. I noticed some bees going into a hole in my siding. As I was watching, it was a steady stream going in and out. I've purchased some boric acid that I have been blowing into the hole for a week now. The numbers have decreased, but Im not sure if that is from the boric acid or if it is because the temperature has gone down. There is one tradit... [More]
Comment icon #18 Posted by Still Waters 10 years ago
A related article - Flying threat: Why are killer bees so dangerous? http://www.bbc.co.uk...gazine-29558688


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