SAN ANTONIO — Bees are so important for the environment but can at times be dangerous to humans. In the event that you ever find yourself being attacked by bees, you need to know what to do.
On Monday, an elderly man died after being stung by bees in south Bexar County. Officials estimate the man was stung over 300 times.
So, what do you do if you find yourself at the center of a bee attack? The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension offered the following tips on what you should and should not do:
- First off, run. Your instinct may be to remain in the same place and swat at the bees but this actually gives the bees more time to run to the colony and get backup bees.
- Get to secure shelter like a car or building as quickly as you can. If you aren't close to a shelter, try to run through shrubs or brushes to distract the bees. If there is no shelter nearby, keep running until you leave the bees behind. "Some bees may pursue victims a half-mile or more before giving up the chase," The Extension said.
- Don’t seek escape in water. The Extension referenced an article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram, who spoke to a Tarrant county couple. They said that in the midst of a bee attack, they tried diving in their pool after failing to swat and swipe off bees. However, every time they came up for air, they were stung in the nose and mouth.
- Once you’re safe, remove any stingers stuck in your skin as soon as possible with a knife blade or fingernails scraped gently against the skin. "Honey bees are one of the only stinging insects that leaves its stinger in the skin," The Extension said. "Left in the skin, the accompanying venom sac will continue to pump venom."
- "Seek medical attention immediately, especially if you experience hives, swelling around the throat or face, or difficulty breathing," The Extension said. An average healthy adult might be able to withstand hundreds of bee stings, but "for people with bee venom allergies, even a single sting can be highly dangerous."
The Extension said wild bee colonies in Texas should be assumed to be a hybrid between Africanized (which tend to be more aggressive than European bees) and European wild bees.
To learn more on bee safety, click here.