Africanized Bee

Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee)

Most all the bees in Maricopa County are now classified as Africanized honey bees or killer bees. These bees look just like the European honey bees that we have known for so long. The venom injected by the stinger is no different. What is different is the aggressiveness they show in defending their hive or colony. The Africanized honey bees swarm several times during the year changing their home (hive or colony).

Having moved, they will defend it extremely aggressively. Do not try to clear out the bees yourself, but instead call the local fire department or beekeeper. Once they start to attack, it can last for days. A single sting is no more powerful or painful than a European honey bee. They can sting only once before dying, but it is the number of stings that can be inflicted because of their numbers that can cause illness and even death. It takes over 10 stings per pound of body weight to cause a serious illness.

If attacked, cover your head and run to the nearest place that will enable you to shut out the bees. A car, truck or house will work, but do not dive into water. Some bees will come with you, but the rest will remain outside. If you choose a car or truck, close the outside vents, and if you have air conditioning, turn it on to calm the bees.

Ants

Ants can sting or bite and use their venom to kill smaller creatures or to keep intruders away. Therefore, the pest prevention is to avoid stepping or sitting on their nests.
Two types of ants cause problems in Arizona: harvester ants and field ants. Harvester ants are large and red, dark brown or black in color. They can sting but the stingers are fairly blunt and the pain last four to six hours. Field ants are medium in size. After biting, the spray acid into the wound, causing short-lived pain.

Velvet Ants

(Wooly Ants, Cow Killers, Mule Killers)
These wingless, colorful wasps are colored black with red, or orange, yellow and white. They are not common in Arizona but can congregate in enormous populations numbering in the thousands. The females sting when handled or stepped on with bare feet.

Wasps

Wasps are slender with a relatively thin waist and four wings. Smooth and somewhat shiny, they have brightly colored "skin," often with sharply contrasting block and yellow patterns. Females can sting multiple times. The males have wings but no stingers. Wasps are predators and feed on insects and spiders.

One type, the umbrella or paper wasp, is colored in dull shades of brown and yellow. It's usually only a threat when disturbed in its umbrella shaped nest. Because its stinger is not barbed, it can be removed and reinserted repeatedly, each time metering out enough venom to cause considerable pain.

Yellow Jackets

Western yellow jackets have logged bonds of yellow and black and are found in the Southern parts of the state and above the Mogollon Rim. The stings are painful and occur mostly outdoors when nests are bothered.

Signs & Symptoms of a Bee, Ant or Wasp Sting

The severity at on insect sting reaction varies from person to person. A normal reaction will result in pain, swelling and redness around the sting site. A large local reaction includes swelling and redness beyond the sting site. Although frightening in appearance these large local reactions will go away over several days.

The most serious reaction to an insect sting is an allergic one. Any of these reactions requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction or "anaphylaxis" may include one or more of the following:

• lightness in the chest and difficulty breathing.
• Hoarse voice or swelling of the tongue.
• Dizziness or a sharp drop in blood pressure.
•. Unconsciousness or cardiac arrest.

This type of reaction can occur within minutes after the sting and may be life-threatening. People who have experienced an allergic reaction to an insect sting have a good chance of a similar or worse reaction if stung again by the same kind of insect. If you have severe allergies to any insect, always carry appropriate medicine prescribed by your physician with you when outdoors.

Treatment

Call the Samaritan Regional Poison Center 602-253-3334 or 1-800-222-1222 for the signs and symptoms and first aid treatment.

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