Calif. couple hospitalized after bee attack

AP Graphics

(AP) INDIO, Calif. - Killer bees have swarmed a gardener and homeowner in the Southern California desert, stinging them dozens of times.

The man and woman are hospitalized.

The gardener was stung 80 times, and the woman has more than 100 bee stings.

The Desert Sun of Palm Springs reports the gardener was trimming a palm tree outside an Indio home on Tuesday when he disturbed a hive of Africanized honey bees in the tree's trunk.

Firefighters called to the home found the pair on the ground covered with bees.

Bee populations peak in July, with colonies going from about 10,000 bees in the winter to as many as 45,000 bees.

[Philaman01]

Bee careful!

[rwsmith29456]

Over 100 stings?! How many does it take to kill a person?

[Scimajor]

There are a number of variables that complicate the answer to your question. Some people, myself included, are lucky enough to barely have any reaction at all to a bee sting other than a loud uttering of an expletive due to the pain of injection. Other people, like my grandmother, will die after a single bee sting unless they receive immediate medical care (e.g. Epipen). In addition, ones current medical state must be taken into account as there are any number of preexisting conditions that could make bee stings more dangerous.

[takacrat]

To some people, only one

[AnnieDanny]

Africanized honey bees?? I suppose I'll have to search for that. The article doesn't explain it.

[JaggidEdje]

"Africanized honey bees" are what you probably know as "Killer bees".

[Aine57]

Hmmm. Perhaps I'll reconsider my secret desire for a bee-beard photograph.

[MurdochSucks]

So weird, my daughter was stung on her left foot by a bee at school yesterday. Then last night after school she stepped on a bee IN THE HOUSE and got stung on the other foot. I've never seen a bee in my house before. What are the odds of being stung twice in the same day at different locations and times, one on each foot?!

[Vetzero58]

Goodness Gracious !

Those are sweepstakes odds you think ?

If you were in a sweepstakes with those odds you'd be rich

wow

[MurdochSucks]

Yea, crazy, right? Perhaps I should go buy her a lottery ticket.