"Killer Bee" strike

[skipper3905]

All,   

Thought I would pass on a odd story that happened to me today. I was on my bulldozer trying to clear a firelane and disturbed a hive of Africanized bees. One poped me on the hand first, then nothing for a few minutes, then another on my neck. Decided to kill dozer and walk away. As soon as I was getting off dozer they started swarming me. Ran away and the numbers started increasing quick. Ran about 100 yards and they were all over me. There is a lake on neighbors property about two hundred yards away, jumped fence and ran to it, dove in. Water was freezing! Came up and bees still there. Down again, then up, and down again. Bees finally faded away.

Walked up to road, about 3/4 mile away and two of my ranch hands happened to be driving down road. One picked stingers out on way to hospital and they still found 10 stingers down my ears when I got in emergency room. Not sure how many times I was stung, staff guessed maybe 100. Mostly on top of head, in hair. I've always had a high tolerance for insect stings, lucky on that. 

Those bees are real aggressive. Bumped wild bees before and stung a few times but never saw anything like this. Sting not as bad as ground hornets or red wasp but the numbers make up for it. Cool day, had heavy jacket so most stings on head. Head looked like a pumpkin but got IV with some medicine that reduced swelling real quick. Only upside was I got some morphine. Had some of that back in '68 whiile I was in the Marines. Been wanting more for 41 years!!

Don't know what would have happened if that lake had not been there. Those bees weren't letting up one bit and I was pretty winded by then. 

Well, just thought it was worthwhile letting any of you in the areas where these Africanized bees are know that those things are serious as a heart attack. Heck, I'm real glad I didn't have a heart attack after those suckers got on me.

[greyghost]

Hey Skipper. I am sure I speak for all of us.   Glad you are still here! I, for one am allergic to bee stings, that would have killed me.

[Reeves]

Sounds like you are one lucky fellow !
Glad you made it through it all !

Are those Bees reportable ? To the Gov. ?
Do they come out, find the nest and kill them for you ?

[CharlieHorse]

  ........skipper!

Glad to hear you're ok.  That would have killed some people!

Thanks for sharing the experience, though I know that you'd rather not had one to share. 

   ........   

[kingwolf]

Wow it sounds like you're a lucky guy i was watching a show about killer bees on the discovery channel once that said that they can hover above someone under water for hours but they did say that after 200 feet from their hive they will consider you no longer a threat to their hive, but its good to hear you are okay and all i can say is that I'm glad they are not in colorado YET, anyways

[skipper3905]

All,

Quick update. Doing fine, just a little dingy probably from morphine. No evidence at all from stings. No swelling, no bumps, nothing.

Reeves, Don't know anything about reporting to gov. Bees just doing what bees do, I guess. Will go back and get dozer tomorrow and steer clear of hive. My controller went out about 2 hrs after and said they were still swarming big time around hive. I actually never saw the hive myself.

Kingwolf, funny you mentioned the hovering above water thing. I had heard that myself and actually thought about it running to the lake, just no alternative I could see. May have seen the same TV show. Nevertheless they left. Maybe they are keying in on heat and that water was cold. These bees had not heard about the 200 foot rule. This lake is a good 250 yards from where the hive is and they didn't let up one bit. Noticed a lot of bees floating in water around me. They sting and die, and got a few swatting them.

As I mentioned, the only parts of me exposed were hands and head and most stings were in hair. I had a toboggin and golves in the pocket of my jacket. I think I could have avoided most stings if just face exposed. Just didn't think about having them.

My controller was most amazed that I got over the fence ok. It is a high siix strand barbed wire fence. I mentioned in the first post I was lucky I didn't have a heart attack thru all this.  Guess I'm luckier I didn't castrate myself. 'Course, at my age, the cajones are not all that much use. Still, rather stay attached.

One thing I am curious about. I have heard that if a person gets a lot of stings, they may develop an allergic reaction to future stings. I'm going to check on that but if anyone knows anything, let me know.   

[kingwolf]

Kingwolf, funny you mentioned the hovering above water thing. I had heard that myself and actually thought about it running to the lake, just no alternative I could see. May have seen the same TV show. Nevertheless they left. Maybe they are keying in on heat and that water was cold. These bees had not heard about the 200 foot rule. This lake is a good 250 yards from where the hive is and they didn't let up one bit. Noticed a lot of bees floating in water around me. They sting and die, and got a few swatting them. 

One thing I am curious about. I have heard that if a person gets a lot of stings, they may develop an allergic reaction to future stings. I'm going to check on that but if anyone knows anything, let me know.  

hmm thats is a long distance from their hive, i don't know much but i think that they are still very new to science and that theres still allot to learn about them and i agree that probably most of the dead ones in the water were from loosing their stingers but Ive also heard that they will sometimes bomb the water trying to get to you, but no matter what it sounds like you did everything right that you possibly could...      thanks for your time 

[jgalo]

Your a lucky man.  Those bees are super aggressive.  They normally wont leave that easily.  Maybe because of the cold.  If it happens again leave the dozer running  and walk away if possible.  I am surprised they have moved that far north.  I have to carry an epi-pen because I am very allergic.  We usally have 1 to 2 deaths annually down here because of africaized bees.  Everyone has moved to an enclosed cab because of them.  You should try the county ext. office they should help with extermination.

P.S. I have haven't laughed like I did when that county officer jumped and danced when those bees got into his bee suit.

[chrisp]

Hi, yes you do build up toxins from stings, that is why I am alergic to wasps, to many times being stung, and its something that is very serious, you can die from it if you don't have the shot or beesting kit with you.

[richedkid]

It sounds like you are a lucky guy. killer bees are too pretty dangerous in the radius of 200 meter from their nest...