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Incident Record

Backhoe operator stung hundreds to thousands of times after disturbing Africanized bee colony

A 53-year-old man operating a backhoe disturbed a boulder covering a large Africanized honey bee colony and was stung hundreds to possibly a couple thousand times. Firefighters used water to knock bees off him, and he remained hospitalized in intensive care.

Record ID: NV-CLARK-2009-0321
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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 2009-03-21
Location Silverado Ranch area near Spencer Street and Eldorado Lane, Las Vegas, NV, Clark County, NV
State NV
Record Type Attack / Stinging Incident
Trigger / Activity Construction / Equipment / Structural Work
Severity Hospitalization / Serious Injury
Bee ID Status Confirmed Africanized
Aggression Classification Confirmed Africanized / Mass Attack

Incident Summary

A 53-year-old man operating a backhoe disturbed a boulder covering a large Africanized honey bee colony and was stung hundreds to possibly a couple thousand times. Firefighters used water to knock bees off him, and he remained hospitalized in intensive care.

Public-Safety Lesson

Heavy equipment, excavation, and land-clearing work can uncover hidden colonies. Outdoor workers need awareness and emergency escape planning in Africanized bee territory.

Impact Flags

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

Source Information

Source: Las Vegas Sun; Las Vegas Review-Journal/AP

Source Strength: B - Established News Source