A massive 100 pound beehive in Marana, Arizona has been destroyed after an angry swarm of bees killed one man and injured several others. The enormous hive was apparently disturbed and erupted into a massive swarm which descended on residents of the neighborhood in which the hive was located. Firefighters and beekeepers rushed to the scene and finally managed to remove most of the bees after a lengthy battle.
Hundreds of bee stings
Deaths from bee stings are not particularly common, with a total of 62 fatalities in 2019 resulting from bee, wasp, and hornet stings combined.
The colossal nest in Marana, located near Tucson, resulted in a massive number of individual stings for each of the victims.
At least three other bystanders were hospitalized after being stung hundreds of times each, according to the Northwest Fire District of Tucson.
Firefighters who responded to emergency calls were also heavily stung; one was hospitalized and treated for 60 stings.
The hive, located in a tree, was eventually dismantled by beekeepers who managed to kill most of the bees, after the fire department warned locals to avoid the area.
Residents were informed that most of the swarm had been removed but that there were likely still many scattered bees in the area that could still sting.
Defending the nest
The species of bee involved was not specified but aggression from bees generally is not common, though certain species are more prone to attack than others.
Bees usually will only sting as a last resort; while wasps and hornets can sting multiple times, stinging results in immediate death for bees.
Only female worker bees can sting. They are generally docile and if they are calm enough they can even be handled by humans without feeling the need to sting.
When their nest seems to be threatened bees instinctively rush to defend it and will not stop their attack until they sting and die or they successfully drive off the perceived threat.
The Marana nest was presumably disturbed and because it had to be removed the firefighters and beekeepers were forced to keep disturbing the bees.
A few stings will not harm most people who are not allergic to bee stings. In huge numbers and in defense of a massive hive it might be a different story.
