Dog Dies After Encounter With Bees In Backyard
Several People Were Also Stung
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue responded to the 200 block of Lorenzi Street (Westcliff/Rainbow) at 3:20 p.m. Saturday after receiving reports that bees were swarming in the area and a dog was being attacked by the bees.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find bees were very active over the entire block and they advised residents to shelter in place. Three people inside the home where the dog was were safe inside their home but they had been stung also. Firefighters used foam to disperse the bees and to rescue the dog but it had already succumb from the stings. It was removed from the scene by City of Las Vegas Animal Control. Once the dog was removed from the area and the citizens that were stung stayed in their homes, the bees started to calm down.
It is not exactly known where the bees came from, but it is believed the bees have a hive in the area where the dog was found. When a bee stings, its stinger releases an odor that is detected by the bees back in the hive warning of a nearby predator and they need to assist and defend. Bees do not attack at random, they defend their hive which is the equivalent of a home invasion for humans. They are trying to protect their home. As long as the odor is present, they will remain active looking for the attacker.
It is not known what caused the encounter. The homeowner where the dog lived was advised to get a bee removal specialist to do an inspection of their property and to see if there was a hive on their property. In the state of Nevada, bees are considered a pest and must be removed by a licensed exterminator. What is also popular now is bees being relocated to another location by bee keepers instead of extermination. But if a hive is present and an encounter has already taken place, in nearly all cases the bees must be exterminated and the hive removed by a professional or the bees will repopulate the vacant hive and the threat will remain. People who tried to remove hives from their property themselves in nearly all cases ended up in the hospital, one person even died. Bees will respond with hundreds or even thousands if provoked. It should be done by a professional with the necessary protective gear.
This is the third encounter with bees in the city this week that Fire & Rescue has responded to. It is the swarming season, this is the time of year that occurrences are more frequent.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue has a two minutes recorded information telephone line: 702-229-2000. It offers tips on how to live with the bees and what to do in case of an emergency.
If a person is stung by a bee and begins to show signs of being dizzy or difficulty breathing, they may be suffering an allergic reaction, call 9-1-1 immediately
Fire & Rescue does not exterminate or relocate bees. That must be done by a licensed professional.
END ## LVFR/PEIO-TRS
E103, R103, PIO1 Incident #1153428
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