STORM2K

Kids Plus Rocks Equals 120,000 Angry Bees

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Reuters) - Kids throwing rocks stirred up more trouble than they bargained for when they dislodged a swarm of bees from an enormous hive built in the wall of a Southern California apartment building, authorities said on Friday.

An estimated 120,000 bees held residents of the apartment building and nearby homes hostage in Santa Ana, California after the children pelted their 500 pound (227 kg) hive with rocks on Thursday, Santa Ana Fire Captain Steve Horner said.

Several people, including firefighters, news reporters and a TV cameraman, reported being stung and at least two people were taken to a hospital with multiple stings, Horner said.

Firefighters cordoned off a four-block area to allow the bees to calm down and return to their hive. An exterminator later fogged the hive and vacuumed out 40,000 dead bees, then set a trap for returning worker bees, of which about 80,000 were captured, Horner said.

The quarter-ton honeycomb, which may have accumulated inside the apartment wall for years, was so big it was threatening the structural integrity of the two-story building, Horner said.

WOw, that is one huge hive!! Did it ever say the dimensions of that thing, or did it just give the weight??

Wow, that's an incredible story! Similar to a local one from last week: day campers at park in the Cincinnati area, put down a tarp near a trail to have lunch on. Under the tarp were wasp nests, way down. The wasps felt threatened, although all the kids did was walk to this spot and put down a tarp (no rock throwing). They swarmed out and 17 kids were to 3 area hospitals. Thankfully no one had a severe bee sting allergic reaction. The situation could have been much worse. In the Cincinnati story, the wasps were chasing the kids from the woods, all along the trail while they were running for shelter. Since I'm allergic to bees now, this type of story really worries me.

The size of that Texas hive is unbelievable! That scene could have turned out deadly.

Mary

500 hundred pound beehive???!!! No one noticed it??

Maybe it was hidden since it was inside a wall? I would think someone would notice a hive of this size too.

Mary

Holy Honeycomb Beeman, thats a supersize beehive.

Miss Mary wrote:Maybe it was hidden since it was inside a wall? I would think someone would notice a hive of this size too.

Mary

This has happened in Phoenix, a few months back, someone was remodeling their house, started tearing down a wall and "BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!" they estimated this particular hive to be some 200+ lbs BUT MAN....a "500# HIVE!"

Dennis