An Africanized bee attack is a medical and safety emergency. In Clark County’s Africanized bee quarantine zone, homeowners should know what to do before it happens. The decisions made in the first 60 seconds significantly affect the outcome.
What Happens During an Africanized Bee Attack
Africanized honey bee colonies respond to perceived threats by sending guard bees to attack. Unlike European honey bee colonies that may respond with dozens of guards, Africanized colonies can commit thousands of bees to a defensive response. The bees pursue threats for 100–300 yards and can remain defensive for hours after disturbance.
The danger is cumulative. A single bee sting in a non-allergic person is painful but not dangerous. Multiple stings — dozens or hundreds — cause systemic effects including vomiting, low blood pressure, kidney failure, and in extreme cases death.
What to Do — The First 60 Seconds
Run immediately. Do not stand still, do not try to swat bees, do not look for whoever you are with. Run away from the colony as fast as possible.
Cover your head and face as you run. Bees target the head and face preferentially. Pull your shirt over your head if possible while running.
Run toward a structure. The goal is to get inside an enclosed space — your home, a car, a neighbor’s house. Do not run toward a pool or body of water. Bees will wait, and submersion does not end the attack.
Do not swat. Swatting bees releases alarm pheromone and attracts more bees. Crushed bees release pheromone that signals other guard bees to your location.
Getting to Safety
Once inside a structure, close all windows and doors. Check yourself and others for bees inside clothing. Remove any bees by brushing them off — do not crush them against your skin.
Remove bee stingers immediately. Bee stingers continue pumping venom after the bee is gone. Scrape them off with a credit card or fingernail — do not pinch and pull, which squeezes more venom from the venom sac.
Medical Response
Call 911 if:
- More than 10–15 stings have occurred (any age)
- Any signs of allergic reaction: difficulty breathing, throat tightening, hives away from sting sites, dizziness, vomiting
- A child, elderly person, or someone with known allergy is involved
- You are unsure
Do not wait for symptoms to develop before calling. Anaphylactic reaction and venom toxicity can develop rapidly.
For minor stings (1–5 stings, no allergy history):
- Remove stingers immediately
- Apply cold compress to reduce swelling
- Take diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for itching
- Monitor for 30 minutes for any signs of systemic reaction
For anyone with a known bee allergy, use an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) immediately if available, then call 911 regardless.
After the Attack
Do not return to the attack area. Africanized colonies remain defensive for hours after disturbance. Note approximately where the attack originated — this helps us locate and remove the colony. Call us for emergency bee removal. An Africanized colony that has attacked people is a serious ongoing hazard requiring immediate professional response.
Prevention
The best defense against bee attack is eliminating bee entry points before a colony establishes. Annual bee-proofing inspection seals the weep screeds, utility penetrations, and gaps that swarming colonies use as entry points. A colony that cannot enter your wall cannot build up to the size that creates serious attack risk.