desert dweller
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Post by desert dweller on Aug 1, 2017 5:11:30 GMT -8
This is why I say the biggest threat of hiking in the backcountry is being attacked by agitated bees. The attack happened in town. Imagine if it was in the middle of nowhere.
BEE ATTACK: 1 dead, 2 injured on Tucson's southwest side Published:Monday, July 31st 2017, 10:01 am MST Updated:Monday, July 31st 2017, 8:46 pm MST By Carolyn Yaussy, Digital Content Producer and Craig Reck, Weekend Anchor/Reporter and Kristin Haubrich, Reporter
PIMA COUNTY, AZ ( Tucson News Now) - Drexel Heights Fire District said one person died and two other people were injured in a bee attack in the 6600 block of Camino De La Tierra at around 7:30 Monday morning, July 31.
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Post by teresa on Aug 1, 2017 6:12:35 GMT -8
I'm a long time lurker but this prompted me to respond. Wow. While the honeycombs were beautiful that is horrible to be attacked like that.
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Post by Campfires&Concierges on Aug 1, 2017 6:26:52 GMT -8
That is terrifying and sounds almost like science fiction.
As someone who's considering moving to the desert, how do you avoid these swarms? (sounds like these guys were landscapers and disturbed a hive - is that always the case, though, or are there swarms roaming around looking for trouble?)
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desert dweller
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Post by desert dweller on Aug 1, 2017 7:50:06 GMT -8
I'm a long time lurker but this prompted me to respond. Wow. While the honeycombs were beautiful that is horrible to be attacked like that. Hi teresa. Welcome. All honey bees in Arizona are considered Africanized. I've come across old combs in the back country before. They have an almost ghostly appearance and can be quite large. Hiking when bees are around is just something one has to get used to.
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swmtnbackpacker
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Aug 1, 2017 8:13:42 GMT -8
Sounds bad but people may need beekeeper suits or at least first responders. From the article...
Seven firefighters were hurt or stung while responding to this emergency, according to DHFD Capt. Jon Graves. “Even though we were wearing turnouts and a face shroud and helmets, bees were still attacking us as we were trying to remove the victim,” Graves said.
"Even with gloves, I was stung several times," he said. "I don't know how they got into my gloves but they did."
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desert dweller
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Post by desert dweller on Aug 1, 2017 8:49:05 GMT -8
That is terrifying and sounds almost like science fiction. As someone who's considering moving to the desert, how do you avoid these swarms? (sounds like these guys were landscapers and disturbed a hive - is that always the case, though, or are there swarms roaming around looking for trouble?) It's a good question. Swarms are different from bees that group together to protect a hive. Swarms are bees that are migrating with a new queen. I've had them in my backyard. They only stay around for a couple of weeks. There is always a possibility of coming across active hive when hiking. A few tricks I've read about to avoid agitating them include not wearing dark clothing, not wearing strong scents and not flaying your arms around when moving away. I've walked through fields of wildflowers with thousands of bees around. The best thing to do is just keep waking at a normal pace and don't panic. One thing I've read about and it actually happened to me is that killer bees have "remote" patrols that will bump you on the chest, without trying to sting, if you get too close to a hive. I think it's all about being knowledgeable and paying attention.
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Post by Coolkat on Aug 1, 2017 12:11:18 GMT -8
I think it's all about being knowledgeable and paying attention. You posted about this just before my hike in the Superstitions in February which got my attention as it's not something I normally have to think about. Until then I was more worried about accidentally stepping on rattle snake. Neither happened and it happened to be one of the best hikes I've even done. Even if it was a little more grueling.
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desert dweller
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Post by desert dweller on Jul 30, 2021 7:10:20 GMT -8
Killer Bees are a real thing. MARANA, Ariz. (KVOA) - One person is dead after at least six people were stung multiple times by a bee swarm near a Marana intersection Thursday afternoon.link
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Travis
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Post by Travis on Jul 30, 2021 9:24:19 GMT -8
I had to read up through the thread to be sure you're talking about Africanized bees. And you indicated you were. I can see from the article how important it is to not allow their hives on your property. Both incidents in this thread appear to be connected to huge hives that were allowed to grow on peoples houses. Clearly the problem is real in your area and in much of the country. I found this map of Africanized bee range in the USA. In my area Africanized bees may be visitors, but European bees are dominant. And wasps are far more prevalent. Every autumn I find hundreds crawling the inside of windows in my garage, but they are easy to kill with mild houseplant insecticide. I open the window and release as many as will escape. Otherwise they get sprayed. I don't wear any special gear, and none have stung me yet. I suppose this is another situation where warming temperatures may alter our local environment.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Jul 30, 2021 13:47:24 GMT -8
I found this map of Africanized bee range in the USA. Wow! I had no idea they were in Colorado!
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echo
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Post by echo on Jul 30, 2021 14:09:28 GMT -8
We had boxes in the garage, and last week my husband opened one without thinking, looking for a tool we rarely use, and disturbed a hornets nest. He got sr Ting once on the thumb and three times under his shirt. I thought that was bad but lucky compared to my boy who got his foot stuck in a redwood stump and had 15 stings under his clothes back in second grade. We have been told to keep a blanket on the ride on mower in case we hit a ground nest but those are the worst cases I’ve seen and none were Africanized. We do get regularly bothered if we try to eat meat on picnics around here, to the point that they will stay on a steak under a running faucet. But I’ve never forgotten that Kepler Bee movie and the fear lingers.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2021 18:37:27 GMT -8
Here in VA the nemesis is either yellow jackets (which mostly nest in the ground) or bald face hornets. I've had run-ins with both of them, not on hiking trips but at work.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2021 18:42:13 GMT -8
Now you're reminding me of a solo BP trip in WV many years ago. I was hiking across a large meadow and heard something rapidly approaching. Sounded like car tires on a highway, so at first it really didn't register. In just a matter of seconds I realized - wait a minute, I'm not anywhere near a road, and this large swarm of bees (honey bees I assumed) wooshed over my head and disappeared. All of them following the queen to wherever she was going. It startled me, as I was alone and a long way from help, but that evening I realized what a treat that was!
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jul 30, 2021 19:54:14 GMT -8
One of my AZ hiking buddies is allergic to bee stings. Some of the ruins we visited had honeycombs six feet tall. Fortunately, those were on snowy days.
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walkswithblackflies
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Aug 2, 2021 6:36:01 GMT -8
I get stung around 5x per year. Almost always ground-dwelling yellowjackets. For some reason, they really like making their nests beneath trails. At this time of year, I should change my name to "RunsFromYellowjackets".
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