Arizona hiker stung to death by bees (1000 stings)

[HkNewman]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/27/us/bee-sting-death/index.html

Hiker stung over 1000 times in the Phoenix area dies.  Is this an ongoing thing there? I’ve heard of golfers being stung to death there …

[Matthew / BPL]

I live in Phoenix and I’m not aware of this being an ongoing thing.

[Billy Ray]

I do not live in Phoenix or even AZ, but it does come up from time to time in the news. They have Africanized bees down that way and they will attack you. A couple of years ago a guy died on a climb when he disturbed a bee hive in a climbing crack… I think it was down near Tuscon.

billy

[John S.]

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=3

What to do if Attacked by Africanized honey bees
Remember these important steps:

1. RUN away quickly. Do not stop to help others. However, small children and the disabled may need some assistance.

2. As you are running, pull your shirt up over your head to protect your face, but make sure it does not slow your progress. This will help keep the bees from targeting the sensitive areas around your head and eyes.

3. Continue to RUN. Do not stop running until you reach shelter, such as a vehicle or building. A few bees may follow you indoors. However, if you run to a well-lit area, the bees will tend to become confused and fly to windows.Do not jump into water! The bees will wait for you to come up for air. If you are trapped for some reason, cover up with blankets, sleeping bags, clothes, or whatever else is immediately available.

4. Do not swat at the bees or flail your arms. Bees are attracted to movement and crushed bees emit a smell that will attract more bees.

5. Once you have reached shelter or have outrun the bees, remove all stingers. When a honey bees stings, it leaves its stinger in the skin. This kills the honey bee so it can’t sting again, but it also means that venom continues to enter into the wound for a short time.

6. Do not pull stingers out with tweezers or your fingers. This will only squeeze more venom into the wound. Instead, scrape the stinger out sideways using your fingernail, the edge of a credit card, a dull knife blade or other straight-edged object.

7. If you see someone being attacked by bees, encourage them to run away or seek shelter. Do not attempt to rescue them yourself. Call 911 to report a serious stinging attack. The emergency response personnel in your area have probably been trained to handle bee attacks.

8. If you have been stung more than 15 times, or are feeling ill, or if you have any reason to believe you may be allergic to bee stings, seek medical attention immediately. The average person can safely tolerate 10 stings per pound of body weight. This means that although 500 stings can kill a child, the average adult could withstand more than 1100 stings.

[Valerie E]

Yes, it is a “thing” in Southern Arizona.  There are a few folks who get killed every year from bees, while doing some outdoor activity (climbing, hiking, golfing, playing in the park, etc.).

It’s also a “thing” here to encounter rattlesnakes, like the one in our garage the other day… no shortage of scary critters here! :^)

[Author]

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