Incident List

A Manchester city worker was hospitalized after being stung hundreds of times while cutting down a tree on Beech Street; neighbors and additional helpers were also stung, for six total people attacked.

KRWG/AP reported that genetic tests confirmed Africanized bees in the July 18, 2012 attack on a tree removal crew at the historic Alameda House in downtown Las Cruces. Two workers were hospitalized; one 52-year-old man had numerous stings, was originally critical, and recovered. Authorities closed part of Alameda Boulevard and urged nearby residents to stay indoors until the bees settled down.

Bell County Sheriff's Office, Moffat Fire Department and Temple EMS responded after a 54-year-old man was swarmed while mowing grass on FM 2409 west of Temple; responders used water and a fire extinguisher to immobilize bees and transported him to Baylor Scott & White in Temple.

A 52-year-old housekeeper was critically injured after more than 200 stings by a swarm described as Africanized bees; four firefighters were also stung during rescue.

An amateur beekeeper was found unconscious in his driveway after his own hive - kept at his private residence - became aggressive and dispersed throughout the Ramsey neighborhood; his wife was also hospitalized for stings. The town's Office of Emergency Management warned residents to shelter indoors. A 40-year beekeeping veteran called the incident 'extraordinary' and said he'd never seen anything like it. The hive was later relocated to a farm. HBA note: source includes speculation about Africanized bees, but no confirmed bee-ID result was found in this batch.

AP coverage said Wildomar residents were timing when they left home because aggressive bee swarms were tormenting the area; Kim Bammes said her Labrador mix Reggie died after so many stings that the veterinarian lost count.

Officials confirmed that 82-year-old Lino Lopez died after being stung by Africanized honey bees. Secondary summaries say he was trying to remove a colony from a wall in an abandoned building on his ranch near Harlingen.

OSHA reported that a landscaping worker preparing to cut a tree disturbed a colony of bees, jumped from a boom lift onto a roof while under attack, and suffered a fractured femur requiring hospitalization.

At an Irvine development project, a site-preparation worker disturbed bees inhabiting a concrete block during grading/tree work, went into cardiac arrest, and died.

A farm field worker was taken to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center after reportedly being stung more than 200 times while working near a cotton field in Solomon. The report cites a Graham County Sheriff’s Office response and notes Safford Fire Department sprayed the hive.

A 73-year-old man died after being swarmed by bees and stung hundreds of times in South Bexar County; local reports cited sheriff’s office information and a neighbor said he had been mowing.

A man doing backhoe road-clearing work for a property owner was swarmed by bees; the property owner had gone inside to escape the heat shortly before. Medical personnel declared him dead at the scene; his body was covered in bees, requiring firefighters to spray a foam agent before recovery was possible.

A 65-year-old worker, later identified as Nicolas Lopez Soto of Gilbert, died after being stung while working in Scottsdale; two others were injured/hospitalized.

A 43-year-old man was washing his dog in a Loma Linda backyard when bees attacked. ABC7 reported the man was stung about 100 times and treated/released at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Firefighters treated the golden retriever Daisy with antihistamines, oxygen, and foam before transport, but the dog died the next day.

A worker spraying water on date palm fruit to remove mite webbing, working from an aerial bucket, sprayed a cluster where a hive was hidden and unseen among the palm branches. Multiple bees attacked; he lowered the bucket and fled to the enclosed cab of the tractor his coworker was driving, but bees entered with him. Both men were stung in the cab before exiting and running further down the row. The victim suffered anaphylactic shock and died at the scene. Cal/OSHA later cited the employer, Hadley Date Gardens Inc., for four violations totaling over $41,000, finding the company's safety plan covered other known hazards (heat, falls, thorns) but had no specific protocol for insect stings at the time. HBA note: the official FACE report documents bee stings and a fatal occupational outcome; do not overstate bee ID without lab confirmation.

Louisiana officials reported that Africanized honey bees were first discovered in the state in July 2005 after USDA confirmed samples taken in June from a swarm trap near Rodessa in north Caddo Parish. The finding was described as the first case of Africanized bees entering Louisiana through natural range expansion.

Encyclopedia of Arkansas states that by June 2005 Africanized bee colonies were established in several Oklahoma counties bordering Arkansas; in the next month, several were found in Miller and Lafayette counties, with isolated swarms reported in three other counties.

ADAI stated that AHB can be more defensive, respond in greater numbers, swarm more often, nest in utility boxes/debris/underground cavities, and pursue perceived threats farther than European honey bees. ADAI urged the public not to disturb colonies and to report unusually aggressive behavior.

ADAI confirmed AHB in Barbour County after local beekeepers collected a feral swarm. The swarm was euthanized and ADAI deployed traps within a five-mile radius to monitor for additional activity.

Murrieta Fire & Rescue responded after a bee swarm attacked a homeowner; a firefighter and the homeowner were transported to the hospital.

Rogelio/Rogerio Zuniga, 53, died after being stung by hundreds of bees while using a tractor/disk in a field near Rio Hondo/Lozano. Officials said the tractor hit an old irrigation pipe containing 15 to 20 feet of honeycomb.

OSHA reported that a 64-year-old landscaper at a country club in Palm Desert was attacked by bees while cutting grass, stung multiple times, and admitted to a local hospital.

A removal-company blog post states that ABC Action News covered a man nearly killed by Africanized honey bees and hospitalized for six days. This is retained as a lead pending the original ABC Action source or other reliable documentation.

MSU Extension stated that there was no evidence Africanized honey bees were established in Mississippi and advised that people should still be cautious around honey bee colonies because defense behavior varies.

Authorities reported that a central Florida woman was hospitalized and her two pugs died after a bee attack near a vacant lot in Martin County. Nearby lawn workers tried to help, and Martin County Fire Rescue transported the woman to a hospital; one dog died at the scene and the other at a veterinary clinic.

Rick Messina, 57, was attacked by a swarm while mowing near the 8th hole; he was hospitalized and died June 27 from complications of bee stings.

A swarm of aggressive bees reportedly killed a 45-pound dog in a Boca Raton backyard while the family watched from inside.

Oklahoma City firefighters responded to a broken-down semi truck hauling bees. High heat and lack of airflow reportedly led to bees swarming, and firefighters cooled the trailer with water while police assisted traffic.

Review-Journal reported that retired Metro police dog Mickey died and another police dog, Roy, was hospitalized after four dogs were attacked by killer bees at their handler’s home. The handler was also stung while trying to get the dogs out.

A woman hiking Piestewa Peak in 115-degree heat was stung by bees and collapsed unconscious. A bystander who happened to have access to the hiker's EpiPen administered it, reviving her partially before Phoenix Fire's technical rescue team arrived and airlifted her off the mountain; she was stable but unable to hike down on her own.

A Bryan, Texas family reported that bees attacked and killed all nine chickens in their backyard flock within minutes. Jennifer Stavinoha told KBTX/CNN Newsource that she rushed outside after her husband texted that bees were killing the chickens and found most already dead, surrounded by bees. A local bee expert told KBTX the chickens may have been caught in territorial behavior between colonies. Bee ID should remain preliminary unless tested or confirmed by an authority.

A 91-year-old man died after he apparently disturbed a beehive while working in his backyard; the medical examiner listed toxic envenomization as cause of death.

A man in his 70s was hospitalized after being stung while trimming tree branches outside his home near downtown San Antonio.

ABC15 reported four people including a Phoenix firefighter were stung; the firefighter was transported for an anaphylactic reaction and was stable.

Africanized honey bees were first discovered in Arizona after a colony established in the roof of a Tucson house stung a small dog to death on June 6, 1993. The colony was examined by experienced beekeepers and federal and state scientists.

A bee swarm interrupted Sierra Madre Middle School’s graduation ceremony at Pasadena High School. Reports say a hive in a sprinkler vault was disturbed, dozens may have been stung, firefighters used foam, and four people needed paramedics though no one required hospitalization.

Three people were hospitalized after bees became aggressive while a resident was mowing; the swarm reportedly chased people for at least 100 yards and a responding firefighter was also hospitalized after being stung.

Larry Goodwin, 62, was killed after disturbing a hive while working land near Moody; reports said a woman who tried to help was also stung and the colony contained Africanized honey bees.

Arkansas public materials and public reports state that Africanized bees were first discovered in southwestern Arkansas near Brightstar in Miller County in June 2005.

A Fayette County man was critically injured after a 911 caller reported him lying on the ground being attacked by bees on Plum Main Street. Responders and another person also suffered stings or dry-powder exposure, and the victim was flown to Dell Seton Medical Center.

CBS Austin stated that seven people were hurt in a bee attack at a South Austin park on May 29, 2023. Needs original incident article or official source before merge. Marked public-visible preliminary because the event appears real but one or more details remain pending.

Ranch owner Bruce Harrison, 54, was found dead near a tractor/shredder. Fort Bend County officials said he appeared to have been trying to escape or swat bees when he fell, and he had multiple bee stings and lacerations from the shredder.

KGUN 9 reported that a man was airlifted to a local hospital from the Sahuarita area after a bee attack; details were limited and attributed to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Carlos Amos, 81, was hospitalized after being attacked while mowing at his Maysville home. KOCO reported more than 200 stings and a broken hip after he fell while trying to escape.

Alex Bestler, a visitor from Louisiana, died after being stung over 1,000 times while hiking; responders reportedly had difficulty reaching him due to aggressive bees.

Backpacker reported that the same day Alex Bestler was killed, a 51-year-old male was hospitalized in Phoenix after a bee attack.

UPI reported that Africanized bees stung at least six people in a Tucson Foothills neighborhood and that pest-control workers removed a colony from an elementary school the same day.

Family/community statements described four family members attacked in a residential courtyard on Memorial Day, with one person reportedly receiving more than 100 stings and two Labrador retrievers killed. FOX 10 Phoenix also reported the Lake Havasu City killer bee attack as a warning to pet owners.

The Las Vegas Sun reported that one person was hospitalized and several more were potentially injured after a swarm of bees attacked them, according to the Clark County Fire Department.

A 38-year-old man in a rural East County neighborhood was attacked by a swarm and transported to Pomerado Hospital, according to Cal Fire information cited by Patch.