Incident List

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.

KATV used a Texas bee swarm hospitalization to discuss warning signs of severe reactions with Arkansas medical experts, noting that most stings are not dangerous but anaphylaxis can be life-threatening.

Robert Zamarripa was mowing his front yard without incident, then began feeling stings near his backyard storage shed. Struck by escalating pain, he sprayed himself with a hose (ineffective), then ran into his RV where his sister was, and collapsed. His sister's attempts to revive him failed before EMS arrived.

Arkansas Department of Agriculture states that the Apiary Section protects honey bees for pollination and lists active registered beekeepers, apiaries, and colonies.

A disabled assisted-living resident, Louis Smith, was hospitalized after being stung more than 400 times when bees reportedly escaped from a nearby beekeeper property and attacked several residents in southwest Las Vegas. Other residents with limited mobility also reported being stung.

Georgia media reported on Alabama's Barbour County AHB detection near the Georgia line and included Georgia Department of Agriculture concerns about public health and agriculture risk if established.

A 2-year-old Georgia boy was critically injured and treated in ICU after more than 150 yellowjacket stings; reports describe multi-organ failure and dialysis treatment.

ABC15 reported multiple people taken to a hospital after bee stings near Kyrene and Baseline roads; initial reports said landscapers were working nearby and some victims were stung up to 15 times.

A Roscoe man was transported to a hospital after a bee attack while mowing. MyFoxZone reports the elderly man disturbed bees living in a cistern on his property in the 2800 block of County Road 101. A beekeeper later helped remove the bees.

A local media account citing ABC 33/40 reported that a beekeeper encountered a very aggressive colony in Barbour County, moved a couple hundred yards away, and was not stung but reportedly had hundreds of stingers left in his pants.

ADAI confirmed Africanized honey bees in St. Clair County in June 2024. The find was a feral swarm collected by a local beekeeper and was euthanized.

ADAI confirmed Africanized honey bees in Jackson County in June 2024. The find was a feral swarm collected by a local beekeeper and was euthanized to protect Alabama honey bees.

A Palmdale family reported that four of their six dogs died after a massive bee swarm attacked them in the backyard. ABC7 reported the family later learned the bees belonged to a neighbor and had escaped. One puppy reportedly had 900 stingers pulled from its ears.

A 71-year-old man was attacked by a swarm of Africanized bees in Edinburg and did not survive, per a September 2024 retrospective news article. Notably, this same 7000 block of Highway 107 was the site of another bee attack the following year (Sept. 2024, already in dataset as TX-HIDALGO-2024-0918), suggesting a recurring hive location.

Benavides was mowing at a vacant family property in Beeville when bees swarmed him; he rode his mower away but had to abandon it and run toward the street for help. Animal Control Officer Rhiannon Isbell responded with a can of WD-40 to knock bees off him; officers Sarah Vella and Domingo Luna also responded and were stung, with Luna's eyes swelling shut and requiring specialized care in San Antonio. The city has since discussed inspecting vacant properties for hives.

A 90-year-old man mowing his yard outside Rio Hondo city limits stirred a large bee nest built inside an old boat. A police officer and family members attempted to pull him from the swarm but could not due to the volume and aggression of the bees.

A Rio Hondo homeowner was found on the ground semi-conscious after receiving more than 1,000 bee stings while operating a tractor; his wife sprayed the bees with a hose until police arrived. He was still recovering in San Antonio at time of report. Officials could not locate the hive despite searching the property.

Simon Poras was mowing his son-in-law’s yard in Manor when Africanized bees attacked. Reports say he was stung about 160 times, suffered a sting-induced heart attack, and the hive was located in a shed in an alley.

Kenneth LaFavers, 77, was mowing in the 300 block of W. Lindsey in Breckenridge when he was attacked by bees and taken to a hospital in Abilene. Bee removal companies were reportedly called to remove the colony.

Vern Roberts was mowing at his Wallis home when Africanized bees attacked. He reportedly received about 500 to 600 stings and spent three days in intensive care. His wife Mary was also stung while trying to help, with reports citing more than 40 stings.

Tom Mizell, 81, was mowing a field near his roadside vegetable stand when a swarm attacked, temporarily blinding him. He jumped into a pond for refuge (bees continued stinging him underwater) before crawling out and reaching his wife and son's vehicle. He was hospitalized with over 1,000 stingers removed.

AP/KGUN reported that a 35-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, and a 13-year-old boy were hospitalized by ambulance after a bee attack near downtown Phoenix.

Two Brownsville men died in separate bee attacks while mowing lawns during the same month. Reports cite Africanized bees and Cameron County Justice of the Peace Jonathan Garcia stating both victims died from the number of stings.

Search-result text says a family dog in La Habra was recovering after being stung about 150 times by bees before rescue, with nearby residents reporting backyard hives in the area. Marked public-visible preliminary because the event appears real but one or more details remain pending.

Search-result text says three dogs were stung to death by a swarm of bees in Santa Ana and the property owner arranged to have the hive removed. Marked public-visible preliminary because the event appears real but one or more details remain pending.

MSU Extension reported that Mississippi's confirmed AHB finding during Jeff Harris's tenure was a colony found in Pass Christian; the Bureau of Plant Industry destroyed the bees and monitored the area with traps.

Search-result lead says a 51-year-old woman was hospitalized after about 1,000 stings and a teen girl was also hospitalized. Needs accessible article or alternate source before merge. Marked public-visible preliminary because the event appears real but one or more details remain pending.

A 71-year-old Buckeye man, Jerry Mora, was reportedly attacked in his backyard, stung thousands of times, and revived after emergency responders intervened.

Phoenix New Times reported that Tucson climber Steven Johnson was found dead in his harness about 70 feet up on a Santa Catalina crag in May 2013, and that his dog was also found dead after both were stung countless times. Needs original report before merge.

Phoenix New Times reported that a family hiking in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness in May 2013 was swarmed; five hikers were stung, including three stung more than 100 to 200 times, and a 6-year-old boy showed signs of shock. Needs original source before merge.

Search-result text indicates a swarm of bees disturbed by tree trimming crews attacked and killed a pit bull puppy outside a North Hollywood home; a resident was also attacked and fire officials were referenced. Marked public-visible preliminary because the event appears real but one or more details remain pending.

Phoenix New Times reported that 19-year-old Joshua Ruzsa died in October 2012 after a bee swarm hit him and friends while climbing Camelback Mountain. The bees reportedly caused a fall rather than killing him by venom alone; two friends were stung hundreds of times and required a rescue. Needs original source before merge.

Two people were hospitalized, one reportedly in critical condition, after bees swarmed when landscapers disturbed a hive in the southeast Las Vegas Valley. Police closed Hacienda Avenue between Eastern Avenue and Topaz Street during the response.

Phoenix New Times reported that Walter Coughran, 65, died after a swarm descended on three men working on a house in unincorporated Yavapai County in September 2011. Two others were injured. Needs original source before merge.

A secondary public summary reports that Africanized bees swarmed several farm animals at a Bisbee-area farm, killed a 1,000-pound hog, and stung an 800-pound pregnant sow so severely that it went into a coma and lost its litter. This appears credible enough to preserve as preliminary animal-impact evidence but needs the original news source and exact date.

Georgia Beekeepers Association FAQ states that AHB were found in Albany, Georgia in October 2010 and in Bainbridge, Georgia in June 2011.

Strong winds split a tree at Oakey and Eastern avenues, exposing a large, previously hidden hive. Hundreds of agitated bees attacked people and animals in the surrounding neighborhood; two people were hospitalized.

UPI and AZ Pest summarize an outbreak of Africanized bee attacks in Arizona; one summary reports three people attacked while walking in downtown Phoenix, all surviving but in critical condition.

The Georgia Beekeepers Association hosts AHB resources assembled with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and UGA, including public information, a model SOP for fire departments, and children/livestock guidance.

A second group of Africanized honey bees was reportedly found in mid-May 2008 on a cargo vessel in Pascagoula that had come from Jacksonville, Florida; the bees were destroyed.

Agriculture specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection reportedly detected and destroyed a swarm of Africanized honey bees onboard a cargo vessel that arrived in Gulfport from Honduras in late April 2008.

A 24-year-old man was killed after being attacked by hundreds of bees while cleaning his truck in Sandy Valley, Nevada; the retrospective states the trigger was unknown, suggesting a possibly unprovoked or minimally provoked attack.

Roosevelt County extension agent Floyd McAlister reported that an Eastern New Mexico University worker was stung about 30 times by bees while working at Lewis Cooper Rodeo Arena. The article discussed confirmed Africanized bees in Roosevelt County and a rise in local bee calls.

UAEX animal-safety guidance states Africanized honey bees arrived in Arkansas in 2005 and warns that penned or tied animals near honey bees are in special peril.

UAEX directs people not to attempt removal or destruction of suspected AHB colonies and to contact the Apiary Section of the Arkansas State Plant Board.

A Las Vegas Sun roundup reports that an 88-year-old man was attacked in May 2003 after applying Comet cleanser to a hive that had reportedly been in his front yard for years.

Juan Robles, an elderly Kirby man, died after a bee attack on his front porch. Firefighters responding to his medical-alert button found his face covered with stingers and bees, according to Fire Chief Kevin Riedel.

A Las Vegas Sun historical roundup reports that in May 2002 a hive was discovered in a tree about 100 feet from Kit Carson Elementary School after at least three children were stung.

J.C. Johnson, 86, was reportedly stung more than 1,000 times after disturbing a large hive while mowing. His son, a police officer, and an emergency worker were also stung or treated. UPI identified the bees as Africanized.

First-pass public web research found AHB presence/status materials and bee-safety guidance, but did not locate a strong Arkansas-specific severe honey-bee attack hospitalization or fatality record.