Florida Trio Hospitalized After Brutal Attack Involving 30,000 Bees — Warning Issued [Video]
A group of Pasco County, Florida natives found themselves in a lot of pain (and in a few cases, a hospital bed) following a botched attempt to steal honey from a bee hive. According to WTFS, the incident occurred in New Port Richey on Sunday at around 11:30 a.m. Witnesses say that four people, three adult men and one woman, approached a “mega hive,” which housed thousands of bees. Reports estimate that as many as 30,000 bees. While the very sight of a bee hive would intimidate most people, these folks really wanted a bit of wild, organic honey.
Instead of sweet honey, the group found themselves battling an angry nest of bees, which proceeded to sting them relentlessly in defense of their nest. Neighbor Tom Johnson, who witnessed the brutal bee attack, described the horrific scene to members of the media.
“They were covered in bees, their beards, their hair, their clothes. Bees were everywhere!”
When firefighters arrived at the scene, the ongoing bee attack was described as so intense, they were required to use the hoses to deter the thousands of bees stinging the group. Later, a beekeeper arrived and reportedly used smoke to calm the bees. It was then that the attack finally ended.
Upon examination, it was determined that the three men had nearly 50 bee stings each. The woman in the group had closer to a dozen stings. The injuries to the three men were bad enough to warrant a trip to the hospital.
The mega hive was expected to remain in place for at least a day. Officials have issued a warning for locals about the hive and bees, urging them to stay as far away as possible. It’s believed that if the nest is disturbed again for any reason, the thousands of bees may attack again.
BEE ATTACK! 3 men were seriously injured after thousands of bees attacked in Florida – Watch this crazy story at 6:25 pic.twitter.com/Le3Sextc8p
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) April 6, 2015
Fortunately, not everyone has had such a terrible encounter with bees. One woman found that a group of bees “swarmed” on her bakery…to eat her delicious pastries! A video showed the Asian marketer rolling out the dough, even as hundreds of bees covered her outdoor stand. The viral footage stunned Internet users, who were amazed that she didn’t run away in horror. The difference is that these bees were more interested in filling their bellies than defending a nest.
A rule of thumb when dealing with bees is to show them respect, a lesson a group of Florida natives learned the hard way. Don’t go near their nests or try to take their honey. Leave the removal of bees and their honey to trained professionals. These people were lucky. A bee attack involving a nest that size could have cost them their lives.
[Image Credit: Nick Watton]
