"KILLER BEES IN PINETOP!"

[azsnowman]

HOLY MOLY....we NOW have the DREADED KILLER BEES on the MOUNTAIN Listening to the scanner just a few minutes ago, a 911 call came over the air, an elderly couple were stung NUMEROUS times...the call came from 3 BLOCKS away from me! I JUST saw the Pinetop FD along with an ambulance HAULING buns past the house This goes along with TexasStooges thread about BEES! We thought we MIGHT be safe from the bees due to the cold and altitude, guess NOT!

Dennis

[Miss Mary]

Dennis - that's scary! Keep Benadryl on hand. And a phone nearby to call 911, just in case anyone is stung and develops anaphylaxis. Two bee related threads going today - what are the odds of that?

Mary

[azsnowman]

OH YES.....Michelle is allergic BIG TIME to bees, we have NUMEROUS EPI-PENS around the house, in all 3 vechiles, ESPECIALLY the SAR CAR! They transported both patients, each with OVER 25 stings on their face, hands and arms. Sounds like the guy hit a hive in the ground with his weed eater!

Dennis

[NWIASpotter]

Wow, that is interesting, that in one day we have 2 different posts of killer bees attacking people.

[Aslkahuna]

One day, I was driving with the windows down because it was a nice day and I drove through a flying swarm of Killer Bees and picked up a bunch of stings just from that.

Steve

[coriolis]

Boy that's just what you need, Dennis! Killer Bees!

I hit a nest of yellow jackets last summer when mowing and got stung about 5 times. No fun.

It could be that the bees swarmed to your area just this summer. There's still a chance that they won't make it through the winter.

[Miss Mary]

Dennis - didn't know Michelle had this allergy too. It's scary, to say the least!

I was 38 when stung by a yellow jacket and within about 20 minutes my symptoms started - swelling/itching at the sting site, hives, swelling to my face, neck, eyes, intense itching on hives, head felt very-very odd - dizzy is an understatement. Since my oldes has a peanut allergy, I knew enough to know this was a life threatening allergy. I took some of her Benadryl but didn't use her Epi-pen. Went to a medfirst and sure enough I was having an anaphylactic reaction. Before all was said and done, I had two oral drugs, two shots, on top of the Benadryl I had. I went to use a phone to call Jim to come get us (kids were with me, they were quite little then) and the bottoms of my feet were swollen - it was hard to walk. Nurse said don't take your shoes off, you'll never get them back on. By this time the meds had started working and swelling was going down. I had to leave my car, couldn't drive (felt like I had drank a 6 pack, that's putting it mildly) and had to take Benadryl round the clock for 5 full days (otherwise symptoms could return). It was scary! Since then I've carried Benadryl and an Epi-pen with me. Got stung by a wasp but that reaction was below the knee (sting site was on my calf while cutting grass). If swelling went above the knee, then I had to head to the ER. Now when I get stung by a bee, I immediately take Benadryl, ice the sting site and sit in the hospital ER parking lot if I can. Sounds silly I know, but we have lousy insurance now. At least I won't need an ambulance this way. Been 11 years since I've had the anaphylactic reaction but I'm still really careful. And prior to that I didn't have this allergy - doctors told me people develop allergies like this later in life. Oh great huh? Two year later, I turned the big 4-0. My gray began to multiply, at 41 eyes went. I began to wonder - what next? Well, serioulsy I know now - gasp, cancer at 43. But honestly, since 43, I've been okay. Knock on wood - I shouldn't have posted that, gonna jinx myself now! Yikes.



Mary

[Stephanie]

That is very scary!

Killer bees or not, when someone disturbs a hive, they become VERY NASTY! I hope that they will be alright!

[Aslkahuna]

In the case of the Africanized (Killer) Bees, one doesn't even have to disturb it but just pass close to it-that's often enough to trigger the defense response and they attack in huge numbers.

Steve

[Guest]

I have always been terrified of bees, wasps, yellow jackets. Unfortunately, my area is getting into the Yellowjacket season, and the honey bees begin to get just as bad. This is the time of year I want cool, wet weather.

Now those killer bees Dennis is putting up with, I sure hope they never migrate any further north. Can you imagine minding your own business and getting attacked by 10s of bees? Gives me the shivers.

[coriolis]

I was biking past a farmers field this spring. A apiarist had placed hives at the edge of the field for pollination and I rode through a bunch of bees. I ran right into one bee and he hit me in the chest. Right down the open collar he went. I reached in to shoo him out and he stung me on the hand. Lucky I'm not allergic.

[Aslkahuna]

Africanized Bees don't attack in 10's, try 1000's. It used to be thought that they wouldn't be able to survive in cooler climates but apparently as they have interbreed with the European (normal) Honeybees they have been able to adjust for the climate. All of this because some dingbat in South America couldn't leave well enough alone and decided to mess with Mother Nature.

Steve

[azsnowman]

Yes indeed....from the info I heard over the scanner, it sounded like these poor folks had a hive of an estimated 20,000+ Africanized Bees. The Pinetop FD spent 2 hours spraying their home, their yard with foam. 3 firefighters, along with 2 paramedics, 1 EMT also suffered numerous bee stings. Now...the question remains, WILL these little boogers survive our cold winter? I believe the theory that Ed had, the swarm recently showed up within the past few months, MAYBE brought up here with a monsoon storm, there HAS been some hellacious storms with near hurricance force winds the past coupla weeks. Who knows....all I know, it just shows to go ya, your NEVER safe from the rath of Ma' Nature!

Dennis

[Miss Mary]

Funny thing is I didn't used to be allergic to bee stings either! Until that magic age of 38. And from ages 35-37 I was stung mulitple times on the soccer fields as my oldest was playing then. Once twice on one hand by the same bee (I swatted it and it skipped over an inch, stung me again). The day I had my full blown reaction I kept saying - but I'm not allergic to bees! One of the nurses who was losing her patience with me said - yes you are allergic! The doctor then explained this allergy can strike anyone later in life. Oh lovely! I was just glad I was in the city and not camping or hiking out in the wilderness. The symptoms came on me so suddenly - minute by minute my condition was rapidly going downhill.

So be warned anyone older on the boards. It can happen to you also. Just be prepared. The worst case scenario for anaphylaxix reactions is for your throat to completely close and then you suffocate. That is if you don't do anything about the reaction - Benadryl, Epi-Pen if you know you have the allergy and above all get to the ER ASAP!

Mary

[Guest]

Yes indeed....from the info I heard over the scanner, it sounded like these poor folks had a hive of an estimated 20,000+ Africanized Bees.
Dennis

I believe that figure, Dennis ....BUT 20,000 + killer bees... I can't comprehend that!

[TexasStooge]

Oh CRAP!!! Not good, NOT GOOD!!!!!