Bee Attack on Lemmon

azcentral.com/news/articles…

Anyone know what climbers were involved... Are they ok?

That is really unfortunate to hear, and I hope those climbers are doing ok today.

Frequently seeing swarms of bees around Tucson, this is something I've always feared (especially since I frequently take my kids on the mountain). I've tried to find as much good info about bees, and particularly Africanized bees, as I could, but I haven't been able to find an answer to one important question. Maybe someone with more bee knowledge would have an answer for me.

When you see a swarm of bees, they are usually out looking for food sources, and in these instances tend NOT to be aggressive. They are much more aggressive when they are traveling to establish a new hive somewhere, and this is when people get attacked. What I have been wondering is this - is there a particular season when they are seeking out a location for a new colony (possibly late summer, when this attack occurred?), or do they seek out a new location when the need arises - maybe if an animal tears their hive apart - any time throughout the year?

That's terrible to hear! Hopefully they recover quickly.

On my first trip to Middle Earth a large mass of bees started flying by us as we were starting the second pitch of a climb. The bees were very close and it was impressive how loud they got collectively. Luckily, they were just moving to a new home and we didn't disturb them, they ignored us and went right along the cliff.

I have not read the article but I will say something from what a climber friend of mine told me about the news. Anybody out scurrying on the rocks is considered a climber in their opinion and they will always report that a climber had to be rescued, when really it was someone with no climbing experience out hiking and scurrying up stuff that they could not down climb. In other words it paints a bad picture for climbers who are on established climbs with ropes that generally don't run into this kind off stuff. But on that note I do hope these persons or climbers whoever they are, are o.k. underline o.k. i don't want to sound like I don't care, just making a point about how accurate are news sources can be. About bees joe. Look in the yellow pages joe I talked to this one guy who safely removes bee hives, a scientest. He told me alot much of which I don't remember. He was some leading researcher in the field I remember. He said the height of the hive off the ground could mean 2 different things about what they were doing, really interesting. I guess most bees are africanized.

I was told by a guy that removed a swarm from my yard that the big groups that fly by are looking for a new home and tend to be less aggressive as their queen is vulnerable. Climbing around an active hive can be hazardous. If they feel threatened they can attack in large quantities. Those of us who have been to Milagrosa and the Dry have put ourselves in close proximity to real trouble and yet I know of no cases of an all out attack. The other thing I heard was that the longest distance people have been chased is a quarter mile. This could all be BS but it is what I remember being told.

Good idea to have a belayer who can speed lower, and another reason to tie in with a bowline!

Killa Beez

youtube.com/watch?v=IPP3cT0…

A friend of a friend knew the person involved. What I have heard is all second hand. They were climbing at Hairpin, two routes side by side. One person was setting up their rappel and helping the other person who had not rappelled before. Swarm of bees came by and started attacking. The experienced person went down, the inexperienced person could not and was stung many times. His face and hands swelled up badly. A rescue was called, the rescuers did not bring climbing equipment and would not use the remaining climber's gear. (Allegedly) A long discussion ensued about how to get him down. After being stuck on the rock for four hours the swelling subsided enough for him to finally rappel on his own. He was in bad shape and very dehydrated, but the rescuers (allegedly) would not give him water. He was carried out. He is in the hospital with many stings and (possibly) kidney damage from dehydration. These are not facts, only what I have heard. Also, another bee incident with hikers occurred earlier in the day (but I don't know where on the mountain it happened).

Killa Beezquote>

+10

Emmet: I understand your desire to get some kind of info out to all the curious, but sometimes these "possibly factual" stories can be damaging to individuals and/or groups that are involved -- even with your warnings of possible inaccuracies. I know because I've made the mistake myself several times, without any ill intentions. It's amazing how difficult it can be to report an incident fairly and factually -- that's why so many groups have Public Information Officers. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a TV report on an incident in the city or the mts. that I've been personally involved with and it's not even close to reality!

I've talked to 2 of the rescuers, (friends of mine,) that were involved in this extremely hazardous "mission" and I do not feel I could even accurately present the situation. Eventually, someone with first hand info typically pops up online and gives some sort of an account. I've found it's usually best to wait for that to happen. Just food for thought.

You're certainly entitled to write anything you'd like -- I'm just playin' the ol' guy in the rocker on the porch, smoking my corn cob pipe, offering free advice to anyone that happens by.... (creeeakkk, creeeakkk.)

I'll join in on all the wishes for a speedy recovery.

Jeff

Jeff,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply, I appreciate it.

I haven't read the story yet, but getting attacked by bees at Queen Creek was probably the scariest thing that's ever happened to me while climbing.

Still no info. huh....well I was not going to post this reply but I noticed matt davies reply. I'm not sure if your trying to start a laugh or to draw attention to the seriousness of what happened through your wu tang video, but from what emmet posted about someone being stuck, first time out climbing, and not knowing how to rappel, that paints a pretty sorry picture and I would probably not draw that kind of light to this unfortunate of an event. Anyhow I guess the story effects some people differently than others.

The climbers were Rob, Jim, and Nick...I have posted some pictures from the hospital.

ouch

Bee's don't swarm while looking for food and like others have said are less aggressive when they're swarming because their queen is vulnerable. A good way to lose a bee or bees is to step into a tree or bush so you're surrounded by the branches and leaves. and if/when you get stung the stinger releases a chemical that calls up more bees to sting you just a heads up. I guess with honey bees (the only bees i've had exp with) if you leave them alone they'll leave you alone. Read: don't swat at them.

Sorry to hear about this tangle with the bees. I heard 1300 stings? Whew! Yep, like Andrew said, as far as I've heard all wild honey bees in SE AZ should be considered "Africanized". Don't mess with them. An agri researcher at UofA once told me that all the farmers here have to order new, non-US bee starter kits each year to start over their pollinator colonies due to the likelihood of crossing with wild killer bees. Alsim the killer bees aren't physically different than our regular honey bees, just behaviorally more aggressive.

Wandering swarms are usually no danger. Like others said, it's when you get near a nest that things turn south. My buddy was engulfed in a cloud of wandering bees at Milagrosa last spring while trying to tie back in at the top of a climb! Luckily he managed to keep it together and get down safely. Not one sting! Be careful out there.

does anyone know what routes they were on? was it a nest? if there is a nest maybe post a warning on the route description. the only thing worse than this happening to someone is for it to happen again.

Ryan F. wrote:Still no info. huh....well I was not going to post this reply but I noticed matt davies reply. I'm not sure if your trying to start a laugh or to draw attention to the seriousness of what happened through your wu tang video, but from what emmet posted about someone being stuck, first time out climbing, and not knowing how to rappel, that paints a pretty sorry picture and I would probably not draw that kind of light to this unfortunate of an event. Anyhow I guess the story effects some people differently than others.

It's certainly no laughing matter. As an arborist, I am acutely aware of the horrendous consequences of an Africanized bee attack. It happens in this profession all the time, thankfully not in Denver, where my business operates. Yet. I have experienced, more than once, the chilling sensation of the air around me coming alive with the vibrations of thousands of bees and thinking they are reacting to my chainsaw, high enough above the ground that I wouldn't likely get down before being stung countless times. I've been lucky that these instances were benign occurrences of a hive relocating through the tree I happened to be working in. I don't think it will be much longer before the Africanized ones reach Colorado, and then who knows? I do know every time I hear a hive in a tree, that song goes through my head, like a perverse warning...Wu-Tang Killa Beez, dey on da swarm... and I wonder how long until the killa beez are here. My sympathy and best wishes for recovery go out to those attacked, on rock or in trees, always.

To my many friends, and probably even more critics;
I am the climber who was rescued from the left hand wall of the climbing area known as "hairpin" on 8/10/2010. The rescue was the direct result of a BEE ATTACK! Not a gear malfunction, lack of the proper gear, or lack of knowledge of how to use that gear for a retreat. Feel free to visit my forum, Bee Attack 8/10/2010 for a full discription of the incident from my point of view(will post asap). That said all climberrs involved are recovering, and I look foreward to having the chance to set this matter straight. My deepest thanks go out to all who were involved in my rescue!

Me upon my arival at St. Josephs Hospital, Tucson AZ. 8/10/2010

P.S. This was not any of our first outings, and one of my partners who actually made it off the wall, was the person learning to rappell.

We climed Resume Builder, but one of my partners was anchored at the top of Unemployment Line about 5 ft. left.

Holy crap dude...and I spay about my 30 wasp stings when I was a kid.

Good thing you weren't allergic...I couldn't even imagine what that would entail.

Good to see you're still alive and kicken!