In 1957 twenty-six Tanzanian queen bees reportedly escaped from a substitute beekeeper in Brazil, resulting in the gradual Africanization of most wild bees in Mexico. Today, it is not uncommon for hikers, campers and picnickers to encounter the Africanized Honey Bee (AHB) in rural Mexico, but few are prepared to deal with the situation adequately.
Death by 1000 Bee Stings
In 2003, U.S. expatriate Timothy Zane was swarmed by bees in the mountains near the port of Manzanillo in the state of Colima. Zane was stung more than 1,000 times and died in a hospital the following morning.
Bee Attack at San Marcos
In 2006 four hikers near La Laguna de San Marcos in Jalisco walked past a large hollow, fallen tree. Within less than a minute, a great wave of bees rose up into the air and simultaneously attacked the hikers, who were unable to outrun them because they were on a slope covered with cacti.
One of the party received over 60 stings while the hiker who had come closest to the hive received only seven. The difference was due to the fact that the second hiker was wearing long sleeves, gloves and a sombrero with a chin strap. The victims commented that they had been unable to hear the hum emanating from this large hive due to the loud singing of cicadas in the trees above.
Three Horses and a Dog Killed
Another attack by Africanized bees took place recently in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco. In this case, two mothers and their four daughters rode on horseback to the ruins of an old mill on their ranch. Two of the girls climbed a wall which housed a hive of wild bees. These simultaneously attacked all members of the group as well as their horses and dogs, repeatedly stinging their faces, eyes and ears.
The women and children escaped by throwing themselves into an irrigation ditch full of water. The animals were less fortunate: three of the horses and one of the dogs died.
Reaching their ranch, the women took Avapena, a Mexican antihistamine. Nevertheless, they suffered intense pain and vomiting all through the night.
AHB attacks like these have provided bits of information which may help hikers in western Mexico deal with the problem by carrying the right hiking gear and making the right moves.
Preventing or Surviving an Attack by Africanized Bees
- Listen carefully and backtrack if you hear the loud hum of bees ahead.
- Avoid lemony or flowery scents. Anything scented, from deodorant to hairspray could provoke an attack.
- Don’t wear black or yellow shirts or pants.
- Keep silent if you’re near a hive. Angry bees can locate you by sound as well as by sight.
- If bees attack, run. Adults can usually outdistance them.
- Produce smoke if possible.
- Scrape away stings using a credit card. Do not squeeze.
- If stung badly, take one Avapena (available everywhere in Mexico) and head for a hospital.
What should a hiker in rural Mexico carry in order to minimize the danger of an attack by Africanized bees? See Useful Equipment for Surviving a Bee Attack in Hiking Gear for Western Mexico. Case histories of attacks by Africanized bees in Mexico can be found at What to Do about Mexican Killer Bees, where readers are encouraged to send in accounts of their experiences. The more data gathered on this subject, the better prepared hikers will be to set out on their own in rural Mexico.
