USA - Africanised Bees attack near post office

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A harrowing scene unfolded near the intersection of Highway 70 and Fifth Avenue on Wednesday morning as a swarm of Africanized bees attacked anyone who ventured into the vicinity of the post office.

Police and firefighters were called to the scene at about 8:45 a.m. after the County Dispatch began receiving reports of people being stung in front of the post office.

Safford Fire Chief Mike Rhodes responded to the call and was immediately attacked.


"They were mad," Rhodes said. "I stepped out of the truck and got attacked. It was a full-blown attack from the moment I got out of the truck."

The bees were swarming so bad one victim had to be taken out the back of the post office so she could receive treatment from paramedics.

Another woman who was traveling through the area on a bicycle had to be rescued by Rhodes. As he was getting bees out of his own hair, the swarm attacked the bicyclist and caused her to lay down her bike. Rhodes had the woman hop into his truck, and the pair drove away from the danger. While several people were stung, including firefighters and police officers, only a few people had to be treated by paramedics. According to Rhodes, the people were treated at the scene and released.

Firefighters donned bee suits and discovered the bee hive in Dr. Jogeswar Rath's vacant medical center across the street from the post office. The firefighters removed the hive and alleviated the problem. A caretaker for the building called an exterminator who finished off the few remaining bees the following morning.

It is the season for bees to be out and about. Rhodes estimates that more than 95 percent of wild bees in Arizona have been Africanized and recommended people take caution when they come in contact.

Prevention is the best defense against bees, and people should remove potential colony locations by filling all cracks and crevices in walls and trees.

If a person encounters riled up bees, the most important thing to do is to run away as fast as possible and try to get indoors.

"They're here to stay, and there's not much we can do about it," Rhodes said.