Three borough tree-trimming employees stung, one severely, when bucket-truck crew struck hidden hive in Paramus
Three Paramus Shade Tree & Parks Commission employees working in a bucket truck struck a hive hidden in a tree trunk; one worker was stung roughly 40 times and hospitalized, the other two stung moderately. Police closed the street and advised residents to shelter indoors; a local beekeeper assessed the hive and recommended leaving it undisturbed to let the bees return. HBA note: keep Bee ID Unknown; source describes a tree-trunk nest disturbed during municipal tree work, not confirmed Africanized bees.
Incident Summary
Three Paramus Shade Tree & Parks Commission employees working in a bucket truck struck a hive hidden in a tree trunk; one worker was stung roughly 40 times and hospitalized, the other two stung moderately. Police closed the street and advised residents to shelter indoors; a local beekeeper assessed the hive and recommended leaving it undisturbed to let the bees return. HBA note: keep Bee ID Unknown; source describes a tree-trunk nest disturbed during municipal tree work, not confirmed Africanized bees.
Public-Safety Lesson
Tree trimming and bucket-truck work can disturb hidden colonies in tree trunks. This is a valid worker-safety incident, but it should not be used as evidence of Africanized bees.
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Source Information
Source: Daily Voice / ABC7 NY / News12 NJ / Patch / Fox5NY
Source Strength: B - Established News / Officials Quoted