BRECKENRIDGE, Texas -- A Texas man died after going into cardiac arrest when he was attacked by an aggressive swarm of bees outside his home.?ÿ Thomas Hicks, 70, was mowing his lawn Monday when he was repeatedly stung by the bees outside his home in Breckenridge, about 130 miles west of Dallas, authorities said.
The Breckenridge Fire Department said first responders faced ??very aggressive bee activity? when they arrived at the home. Medics and firefighters attempted emergency care but Hicks died, the fire department said.
Hicks' wife, Zoni Hicks, told TV station KTAB that she had been out grocery shopping when she returned to find her husband screaming and covered in bees.?ÿ ??You couldn??t even see his back and his whole head ?? he was just covered,? she said.?ÿ Zoni Hicks was also stung repeatedly and she was treated and released from a hospital.
The hive was located inside a tree and firefighters killed the bees by spraying foam onto them, authorities said.
Wonder if they were Africanized bees. I'm somewhat surprised that he didn't notice all the activity around the tree as close as it is to the house which might have been a result of hearing loss given his age. Hives like that often 'hum' in warm weather when workers gather at the entrance beating their wings rapidly to ventilate the hive. The vibrations from a lawn mower close to that tree would definitely set them off. Really crummy way to go. Years ago there was a study on bear attacks and it turned out a very substantial portion of the victims had hearing issues.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
Huh??ÿ What was that?
..The vibrations from a lawn mower close to that tree would definitely set them off..
Banging a mower up against a 6" steel pipe corner post full of wasps will set them off really quick too.?ÿ And forget that business about standing still...they've already had their target, and it was my hide.?ÿ Running or maybe rolling around on the ground might give you some time.?ÿ I really don't know anybody with the wherewithal to try and stand still while they're getting nailed.?ÿ
And I too wondered about the breed of the bees in the story.?ÿ The original African bees that escaped quarantine in South America have interbred with our common honey bee for years.?ÿ So it's a good bet most bees (in the South anyway) are a little more aggressive than what one might remember as a child.?ÿ ?ÿ
PS - I was amazed at how many wasps could get into a pickup in the short amount of time it took me to open the door, hop in and then shut the door. 😉
I was amazed at how many wasps could get into a pickup in the short amount of time it took me to open the door, hop in and then shut the door.
I was going to hit the like button; but there was nothing there to like...
The story in Texas is tragic.?ÿ With my encounter I would have thought it was funny if I watched it happen to somebody else.?ÿ I realized it was a life-or-death struggle when I started smashing them with my hands so they couldn't get to my face!
I would bet they were Africanized bees also. Regular honey bees aren't they aggressive. Even a large nest of yellow jackets wouldn't likely cover his hole face. Although we don't have multi year nests here in the north so I could be wrong. I find many people don't know the difference between bees and wasps.
One time when I was still an I man, my crew chief was digging for a bar, trying to get through a big root with the shovel. A bunch of bumblebees started flying around him trying to figure out what was going on. I basically stood and watched to let him know if he was going to be attacked, but they just flew around the area and didn't touch him. The nest had to be close to the bar we dug up. Seems like bumblebees make a lot of noise but are not aggressive.?ÿ
I kept bees for years and had to stop a couple years ago when I started developing an allergy. One got me in the throat and left me struggling to breath. Eyes and throat are the least desirable places to get stung. Years ago I'd had a couple Jack and Cokes and got the bright idea to check on my hives and didn't tighten down my veil. Three crawled up inside. One got me in the eye and it swelled shut. Next day I looked like a mongoloid after going seven rounds with Mike Tyson. Moral is don't drink and screw with bees. Apparently they don't like alcohol as much as I do.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
When I was a kid my parents had a friend from Newfoundland who kept bees for a local company. He was a tough bugger and didn't wear a suit. I don't know if they didn't sting him or he just didn't care.?ÿ
@350rocketmike
Check this out. She has the touch.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
One of my yoga buddies moved this swarm for somebody Monday night. ?ÿHe estimated 10,000.
@350rocketmike
I beg to differ on that assessment on bumblebees.?ÿ They hate farm equipment that disturbs them in their underground homes.?ÿ When mowing a field for hay one needs to remember the general areas where a few bumblebees would appear.?ÿ Raking and baling operations really gets their dander up.?ÿ They know to go after the operator rather than the machinery.?ÿ Thus, avoiding a small patch may be a very good idea, or wait until almost dark to disturb them when they are less aggressive.?ÿ?ÿ
One home remedy to minimize the swelling is to get off the tractor, pull out the oil dipstick, wait about thirty seconds, then place a drop or two of oil directly on the sting.?ÿ One sting hurts.?ÿ A dozen is quite a different level of pain.
Wood bees or carpenter bees, which resemble bumblebees, are harmless.
Banging a mower up against a 6" steel pipe corner post full of wasps will set them off really quick too.?ÿ And forget that business about standing still...they've already had their target, and it was my hide.?ÿ Running or maybe rolling around on the ground might give you some time.?ÿ I really don't know anybody with the wherewithal to try and stand still while they're getting nailed.?ÿ
Running over a bumblebee nest with a Ford 8N towing a bushhog mower can upset them also.?ÿ I jumped off the tractor and caught it on the other side of the blackberry thicket after the bees calmed down a bit.
45 or so years ago we were doing a large boundary survey that included a railroad track through a tunnel.?ÿ We had seen lots of snakes so the crew chief wore his 1911 .45.?ÿ As we exited the tunnel he saw a LARGE hornet nest on the side of a telegraph pole.?ÿ He leaned up against the wall of the tunnel and let go a round at the nest.?ÿ Unfortunately, he hit it.?ÿ Those hornets followed the trail of that bullet straight back to the tunnel.?ÿ All you could see was a**holes and elbows going down that tunnel.
Andy
@dougie I was looking for the LOL button
I'm certifiably allergic to bees, at age 20 was stung by one in the arm which swelled to the size of my thigh and necessitated a trip to the ER for arm drainage, some shots and pills.?ÿ I had recollections of being stung by honeybees as a child with only local inflammation but the docs said that sensitized me.
Somehow didn't get stung again 'till last year, 50 years later (!).?ÿ A bee flew in my house window and immediately stung me in the arm, same scenario, but immediately pulled out the stinger with a credit card, took some Benadryl for a few weeks and the swelling wasn't too bad.
Don't know how many EpiPens I've bought over the last 50 years, maybe three dozen or so.?ÿ It expires (turns brown) so you have to buy new ones every 2 years or so although recent studies have shown expired ones are still 90% potent and cause no harm.?ÿ Last coupla purchases they insisted I buy a two pack because of my body size.?ÿ And their price has skyrocketed for some reason.
Some things to know. A severe local reaction is not life threatening unless you're unfortunate and get stung in the mouth.?ÿ Anaphylaxis is the killer and Epi-Pens may only delay symptoms for a few hours so if you use an Epi-Pen get the victim to an ER ASAP.?ÿ In multiple sting scenarios call 911 immediately even if the victim has no allergic history.?ÿ Finally, only about 50-100 people in the US die of stings each year but of course our risk as land surveyors is orders of magnitude higher.
my yoga buddies
Yoga? You ain't in the field much these day's are you? ?????ÿ
Don't jinx me, I have a couple horrible encounters with yellow jackets and bald face hornets every year. They are the only thing I fear in the woods.?ÿ
Don't jinx me, I have a couple horrible encounters with yellow jackets and bald face hornets every year. They are the only thing I fear in the woods.?ÿ
I've always told my employees that a snake is as afraid of you as you are of it.?ÿ Hornets are not.
This gave me a nightmare last night. I dreamed that I parked my truck too close to a bald faced hornets nest in the tree and they swarmed me as I was running away from them. Lol. They were huge bastards too.?ÿ