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Incident Record

Man critically injured after bee attack near 56th Street and Shea Boulevard

A man in his 40s was critically injured after being repeatedly stung near 56th Street and Shea Boulevard. Firefighters used foam against the bees, and a bee-removal worker later found weeks worth of honeycomb in a water valve box along the front of a home.

Record ID: AZ-MARICOPA-2023-0915
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This record is part of a first-pass incident research dataset. Records, categories, and source notes may be updated as additional information is reviewed and verified.
Date 9/15/2023
Location Paradise Valley area / 56th Street and Shea Boulevard, Maricopa County, AZ
State AZ
Record Type Public Source Incident
Trigger / Activity Utility / Public Works
Severity Critical
Bee ID Status Bee ID Unknown
Aggression Classification Defensive colony response

Incident Summary

A man in his 40s was critically injured after being repeatedly stung near 56th Street and Shea Boulevard. Firefighters used foam against the bees, and a bee-removal worker later found weeks worth of honeycomb in a water valve box along the front of a home.

Public-Safety Lesson

Water valve boxes and other small enclosed utility spaces can hide established colonies. Utility and residential areas should be treated cautiously when bee activity is concentrated around openings.

Impact Flags

Human Fatality No
Human Hospitalized Yes
Animal Fatality No
Responder Involved Yes

Source Information

Source: ABC15 Arizona

Source Strength: B