How to Escape a Swarm of Killer Bees
Africanized honey bees escaped quarantine in Brazil in 1957 and quickly began to breed with local bees in the area. Soon their range spread outwards at a range of 200 miles per year, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. The bees have moved into the United States where they are taking over local honeybee hives. They have aggressive territorial tendencies. The bees often attack when they are disturbed, subjected to a loud noise, auto vibrations or pedestrians coming too close to the hive. The bees will normally bump into people in a warning attempt if someone is too close, but if the intruder does not heed the warning, a full-blown attack is imminent.
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Instructions
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Run from attacking bees. Seek shelter quickly in an automobile or building. Continue running if no shelter is available. Run in a straight line as far as possible. The bees often chase someone for up to half a mile from the hive.
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Cover your head completely using your jacket, shirt or some other material. Africanized honey bees target the eyes when attacking, according to the National Park Service.
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Avoid swatting the bees or killing them. Dead Africanized honey bees give off a chemical smell that alerts other bees to attack even more fiercely.
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Stop flailing your arms. Avoid swatting at the bees. Flailing arms and swatting only agitates the bees more and makes the attack more vicious.
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Call 911 for help. Seek medical care immediately.
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Scratch the stingers gently from the bite wounds immediately. Pinching the stingers or using tweezers to remove them will inject even more venom into the wounds.
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Tips & Warnings
Never jump into water when being attacked. The bees will hover over the water and recommence attacking when you rise to the surface for air, according to Desert USA.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit honey bee image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
