Africanized bees are also known as killer bees and can chase up to a mile.
Talk about a buzz kill. A Texas street department worker in Wichita Falls was stung 1,000 times by killer bees Thursday. Two of his coworkers were also attacked while trying to help him.
The worker was mowing a lawn when the bees stung him. Wichita Falls city officials say the bees were Africanized honey bees, that are also known as killer bees. All three men were taken to a local hospital and are expected to recover.
Africanized honey bees attack in large numbers and can chase their target up to a quarter of a mile, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
USA Today reports the average adult can tolerate about 10 stings per pound of body weight. Broken down into layman’s terms, that means an adult can withstand more than 1,100 stings, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
If you find yourself in the midst of an attack, run away, or get indoors as fast as possible, and don’t swat, because that will make the killer bees angrier, according to an article on the killer bees published for the University of Georgia. The article also warns not jump into a pool or body of water, because the bees will be waiting for you when you come out.
If you see a swarm of bees, call a professional bee removal service, the fire department, or even your county extension agent for help. You definitely don’t want to rumble with a bee, and we’re not talking about Lil’ Kim.