SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Two people were stung by a swarm of bees in Scottsdale on Tuesday afternoon and had to be taken to the hospital, officials with the Scottsdale police and fire departments said.
The large hive was found underneath a manhole cover near Loop 101 and Raintree Drive. Emergency officials used foam to help calm the bees down, and a beekeeper was called to dismantle the hive.
Scottsdale Fire said one person was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The condition of the second person was not immediately known.
Two people attacked by swarm of bees off Raintree Dr. & 87th St. Both hospitalized.
— Ashley Paredez (@AshleyOnABC15) September 29, 2021
This is how the beehive looked once it was removed from underneath a manhole cover. @abc15 @ScottsdaleFire #beehive #beeattack pic.twitter.com/ecjv4trMJb
“If it’s a European hive, or what we know as a regular beehive, you can literally walk up to it and they’re not going to harm you. If it’s an Africanized hive, you’re not going to get that close and you will literally be covered in bees,” says Chad Little with Urban Desert Pest Control.
Those are the type of bees Little believes were swarming the area. His advice is if you are being attacked, run and get as far away from the hive as possible.
“They are literally going to cover your face, your nose, your mouth, and that’s where they’re going to sting,” says Little.
Scottsdale fire says bee attacks are common during the fall.
Watch video from Air15 below.
