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Incident Record

91-year-old man died after disturbing beehive in West Covina backyard

NBC Los Angeles reported that a 91-year-old man died after apparently disturbing a beehive while working in his backyard. West Covina police said he was swarmed by hundreds of bees, a neighbor found him dead, and the medical examiner listed toxic envenomization as the cause of death.

Record ID: CA-LOSANGELES-2026-06XX
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 June 2026
Location West Covina, CA, Los Angeles County, CA
State CA
Record Type Preliminary Incident Report
Trigger / Activity Mowing / Yard Work
Severity Fatality
Bee ID Status Bee ID Unknown
Aggression Classification Defensive colony / beehive disturbed

Incident Summary

NBC Los Angeles reported that a 91-year-old man died after apparently disturbing a beehive while working in his backyard. West Covina police said he was swarmed by hundreds of bees, a neighbor found him dead, and the medical examiner listed toxic envenomization as the cause of death.

Public-Safety Lesson

Yard work around hidden backyard colonies can become fatal, especially for older residents. Fatal incidents may occur without immediate witnesses if a person is alone outdoors.

Impact Flags

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

Source Information

Source: NBC Los Angeles / West Covina Police

Source Strength: B