What to Do If Killer Bees Attack
Most people will never be attacked by Africanized honey bees. If you live, work, or travel where they’re established, though, the right response is simple, and it’s the opposite of what instinct tells you. Read this once, share it with your family, and you’ll know what to do. It’s part of our Killer Bees 101 guide.
The one-line version
Run. Cover your face. Get inside a car or building. Don’t stop, don’t swat, and don’t jump in water.
Texas A&M’s Apiary Inspection Service teaches it as A-C-E: Alert others, Cover your head and face without blocking your vision, and Exit into a car or house immediately.
Why running works
An Africanized colony defends the nest, not you personally. UF/IFAS explains that once stinging starts, you’re too close to the nest and need to leave the area right away. These bees do pursue. UF/IFAS says they may follow an intruder 400 yards or more, so you need real distance or a real barrier, not a few steps back.
Step by step
1. Run immediately, in a straight line
Don’t stop to figure out where the bees came from. UF/IFAS advises running in a straight line to shelter. UF’s species profile adds that running through tall grass or small trees can help break up the pursuing bees.
2. Protect your face and airways
Pull your shirt up over your nose and mouth as you run. Bees target the head, eyes, and breathing openings, and covering them limits stings where they do the most harm. University of Arizona Extension says to cover your head as much as you can without slowing down.
3. Get inside an enclosed space
A car, house, shed, or any building with a door. UF/IFAS notes that a few bees will probably follow you in, but most will stay outside. Once inside, move away from the door and deal with the few that got in.
4. Don’t swat or flail
Swatting and rapid movements agitate bees further. University of Arizona Extension also notes that each sting releases an alarm pheromone that marks the spot and draws more bees to it. Keep moving.
5. Don’t jump into water or hide in brush
This is the movie mistake. University of Arizona Extension warns that the bees may wait for you to come up for air. UF/IFAS says the bees can stay in the area for 30 minutes or longer, so hiding in water or thick brush just keeps you near them.
6. Call 911 for serious incidents
Call if someone has many stings, signs of an allergic reaction, or can’t get away.
If someone else is being attacked
This is the hardest instruction to follow. Don’t run in to rescue them unless you’re wearing a bee suit and have training. UF/IFAS and University of Arizona Extension both advise yelling at the person to run for shelter, calling 911, and staying at a safe distance. Two victims don’t help anyone.
UF/IFAS reports that in Florida, most sting victims are pets and domestic animals, because they can’t escape a tether, pen, or kennel. If an animal is trapped near an active colony, call 911 or local animal control rather than going in yourself. Prevention steps for dogs, horses, and livestock are in Protecting Pets and Livestock from Killer Bees.
After you’re safe: the stingers
Honey bee stingers are barbed and stay in the skin with the venom sac attached. UF/IFAS notes that a stinger keeps pumping venom until it’s removed or empty, so speed matters more than method. Scrape them out with a fingernail, credit card, or dull knife. Wash the area with soap and water, and use ice for swelling.
Get medical care promptly if you’ve been stung many times. University of Arizona Extension sets the threshold at more than 15 stings. Mayo Clinic notes that more than a dozen stings can cause a toxic reaction with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and lightheadedness. Children, older adults, and people with heart or breathing problems are at higher risk. Anyone with trouble breathing, a swollen tongue or throat, or widespread hives needs 911. If they carry an epinephrine auto-injector, Mayo says to use it first and then call. Full detail is in How Dangerous Is a Killer Bee Sting?.
Preventing an attack in the first place
Most incidents start when someone accidentally disturbs a nest they didn’t know was there. UF/IFAS notes that a large share of attacks involve people who knew a nest was there and either left it or tried to remove it themselves.
- Check before you mow, trim, or run power tools. Texas A&M lists equipment vibration (tractors, mowers, trimmers, chainsaws) and loud noises as common triggers. Walk the area first and listen for buzzing.
- Know the hiding spots. Water meter boxes, irrigation valve boxes, old tires, overturned pots, sheds, and wall voids. USDA’s Tucson lab lists all of these.
- Keep your distance. USDA recommends staying at least 100 feet from any Africanized colony.
- Bee-proof your property. UF/IFAS recommends sealing gaps larger than 1/8 inch and screening vents, rain spouts, and utility boxes with 1/8-inch hardware cloth. Inspect weekly during swarm season.
- Have colonies removed by a professional. Don’t spray, burn, or knock down a colony yourself. University of Arizona Extension warns against shooting, throwing rocks at, burning, or using pesticides on established colonies.
- Carry epinephrine if prescribed. If you know you’re allergic, keep it on you outdoors.
A note for Ohio readers
Africanized bees are not established in Ohio (see Are There Killer Bees in Ohio?). The same escape plan still works for any stinging-insect nest you disturb by accident. In Northwest Ohio that’s most often a yellowjacket nest in the lawn or a wall. Yellowjackets can sting repeatedly, so get away fast. For removal help near Fostoria, see Northwest Ohio Wasp Removal for wasps and our Bee & Wasp Removal page for honey bees.
Wondering how far you’ll need to run? See How Far Will Killer Bees Chase You? If anyone in your group has a known sting allergy, review the warning signs in Bee Sting Allergy: Anaphylaxis Signs and What to Do.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stand still if killer bees attack?
No. Standing still works for a single curious bee, not a defending colony. Run to shelter.
Can I jump in a pool or lake to escape?
No. University of Arizona Extension and UF/IFAS both advise against it. The bees can wait above the water.
How far should I run?
Until you’re inside a car or building, or well away from the area. Africanized bees may pursue 400 yards or more.
What if bees follow me into the car?
A few will. Most stay outside. Drive away from the area if it’s safe, then deal with the few bees inside.
Should I pull out stingers with tweezers?
Speed matters most. UF/IFAS says the method doesn’t matter as long as the stinger comes out quickly. Scraping with a card or fingernail is fast and easy.
Related reading
Sources
- UF/IFAS EDIS ENY-170, “Living with the African Honey Bee”: https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1205/pdf
- UF/IFAS Solutions for Your Life, “Africanized Honey Bees”: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/natural-resources/africanized-honey-bees/
- UF/IFAS EDIS EENY-429, “African Honey Bee, Africanized Honey Bee, Killer Bee”: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN790
- Texas Apiary Inspection Service, “Africanized Bees”: https://txbeeinspection.tamu.edu/public/africanized-bees/
- University of Arizona Extension, “They are called Africanized Honey Bees”: https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/195020a.pdf
- USDA ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, “Africanized Honey Bees Overview”: https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/tucson-az/carl-hayden-bee-research-center/docs/africanized-honey-bees/africanized-honey-bees-overview/
- University of Arizona Extension AZ2011, “Honeybee Basic Biology”: https://www.extension.arizona.edu/publication/honeybee-series-honeybee-basic-biology
- Mayo Clinic, “Bee sting – Symptoms and causes”: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bee-stings/symptoms-causes/syc-20353869
- Ohio State University Ohioline HYG-2075, “Yellowjackets”: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-2075-11