On Sunday morning, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was contacted about a bee swarm which was attacking a resident and her horses in the 1600 block of West Saguaro Road, north of Willcox. Upon arrival, Deputies noted that an exterminating company was on scene and two horses were down.
A female resident advised that she heard her dogs barking earlier and when she went outside, she observed bees attacking her horses. The woman advised that she attempted to get the bees away from the animals when she was repeatedly stung in the head. The woman advised that both horses went down during the attack and were suffering from multiple bee stings.
The woman was treated on the scene for bee stings which appeared to total over twenty times to her head. The woman refused transport to a hospital for any further treatment.
One horse was treated by a local veterinarian for the bee stings, while the second horse, a 12-year-old Tennessee walking horse, died at the scene as a result of the attack.
The bee swarm left the area after Deputies and Public Safety personnel arrived.
The Cochise County Sheriff warns that if bees are in the area:
Stay indoors.
Close all windows and doors.
Do not attempt to move bees (don’t throw objects at the swarm or squirt with water).
Typically swarms are transient — they may set up temporary shelter in a tree for a few hours or even days before moving on.
Swarms that are close to daycare centers, schools, or densely populated areas (large apartment complexes or trailer parks) may need to be removed if they do not leave the area in a reasonable amount of time or are showing aggressive behavior.
If a beekeeper or exterminator is contacted for bees on a private residence or business, the owner/occupant assumes financial responsibility for said services.
The Fire Department does not typically eradicate bee swarms unless special circumstances are present (such as aggressive, attacking bees that cannot be isolated from the public by reasonable means).
Killing non-Africanized swarms only strengthens the Africanized population. Non-aggressive bees are essential in nature.