California Bee Attack Tracker

The log, 2020 to 2026

Bee attacks in California, 2020 to 2026

These are the incidents I could confirm from 2020 on, newest first. Sting counts and injuries are the ones given in the report named in the last column.

1. On June 28, 2023, a 74-year-old Murrieta woman was stung hundreds of times outside her home. Medical staff removed at least 700 stingers from her skin and clothing, and removal crews estimated about 100,000 bees in the walls of the house. (Source: KTLA, 2023)
2. A Murrieta firefighter was hospitalized in the same incident. Firefighters used water and foam on the property, and a bee removal service was called in afterward. (Source: CBS Los Angeles, June 29, 2023)
3. On August 9, 2024, Riverside County firefighters took two people to a hospital in Jurupa Valley, one in serious condition, after bees attacked a father and son feeding their horses. (Source: Riverside County Fire Department, August 2024)
4. A San Marcos church volunteer was hospitalized for four days in April 2024 after his tractor hit old piping with hives inside. Three hives were removed from the church grounds. (Source: ABC 10News San Diego, April 29, 2024)
5. In the May 2023 Encino incident, the hive was under the roof of a home and residents were told to stay indoors with windows and doors closed. (Source: ABC7 Los Angeles, May 16, 2023)
6. In Pasadena in February 2020, about six feet of honeycomb was found on the top story of a hotel, which suggested the colony had been there for months. (Source: Pasadena Fire Department, via Yahoo News, 2020)

Some reports give only a weekday. For those rows I worked out the date from the weekday and the day the report was published. Reports of the Murrieta attack differ on details: one outlet gives June 29, and officials later put the sting count at more than 400.

The log, 2014 to 2019

Bee attacks in California, 2014 to 2019

Older incidents, newest first. Two of the three deaths in this log are in this period.

1. On July 3, 2017, a 49-year-old date palm foreman in California died of anaphylactic shock due to multiple bee stings. He was allergic to stings, his employer did not know, and he did not have an epinephrine auto-injector. (Source: CDPH, FACE Report 17CA003, 2018)
2. In Lake Forest in July 2018, a housekeeper was stung about 200 times. Firefighters found her covered in bees and sprayed her with a carbon dioxide extinguisher before they had time to put on protective gear. (Source: ABC7 Los Angeles, citing Orange County Fire Authority, July 17, 2018)
3. The Lake Forest hive was inside a gas meter and had reportedly been there about six months. A removal company found 30,000 to 80,000 bees. (Source: ABC7 Los Angeles, July 17, 2018)
4. In Norco in February 2017, a dog was stung more than 300 times and died along with her three puppies. Two people were taken to a hospital. (Source: CBS News, February 24, 2017)
5. In Palm Desert in March 2014, a pest control worker said the bees went after anything that moved within a 90-yard radius. (Source: International Business Times, March 9, 2014)
6. More than 20 people were stung at Cerritos Regional Park on September 3, 2016, and the bees left the park within an hour. (Source: Fox News, citing Los Angeles County Fire Department, September 4, 2016)

I left one widely reported death out of this log. A 67-year-old man who died in Valley Center on March 6, 2014 was first reported as a bee sting victim, but the San Diego County Medical Examiner later said he was stung by wasps (NBC 7 San Diego). The 2017 Ceres report does not give an exact date, and the Monterey Park report is dated September 18, 2017 without saying which day the attack happened. CDPH does not name the city or county of the date palm orchard. The Loma Linda man was reported to have been keeping the bees in his backyard (Redlands Daily Facts, via ABC7).

The log, 2010 to 2013

Bee attacks in California, 2010 to 2013

These are the oldest incidents I could confirm from reports that are still online.

1. In Redondo Beach in August 2011, police estimated a 95-year-old man was stung 500 to 600 times. Crews removed part of an apartment roof and carried off more than 100 pounds of hive and honey. (Source: International Business Times, citing Redondo Beach police, August 26, 2011)
2. In Santa Ana in September 2011, the attack shut down a street and forced several businesses to evacuate. (Source: NBC News, 2011)
3. In Indio in July 2012, Riverside County firefighters wore bee hoods, gloves and helmets, and none were hurt. (Source: ABC News, July 24, 2012)
4. In Torrance in May 2011, a removal expert estimated about 25,000 bees in the hive under the eave. (Source: CBS Los Angeles, May 3, 2011)

I set out to log incidents back to 2000. I have not yet found reports from 2000 through 2009 that I could read and confirm, because most local news stories from those years are no longer online. I am still looking, and the log will grow backward as I confirm them. The Santa Ana date comes from a photo caption in the report.

Patterns

What the log shows

These are my own counts from the 36 incidents above. They describe this log only. Because unreported attacks are missing, they should not be read as statewide rates.

1. Three of the 36 incidents killed a person. All three were men stung while working with equipment, and all three were reported to have died of an allergic reaction or to have a sting allergy. (Source: Fox News, 2010; CBS News, 2015; CDPH FACE Report 17CA003)
2. Firefighters or police were stung in 10 of the 36 incidents. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)
3. A dog or horse died in 11 of the 36 incidents. The reports add up to 15 dogs and 2 horses. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)
4. Ten of the 36 incidents were in Riverside County, nine in Los Angeles County, nine in San Diego County and four in Orange County. San Bernardino, Stanislaus and Contra Costa counties have one each, and one report does not name a county. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)
5. Of the 35 incidents with a known month, 26 happened from May through September. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)
6. In at least four incidents the report says the colony had been in place for months or years before the attack: Lake Forest, Pasadena, Murrieta and Jurupa Valley. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)
7. In at least nine incidents the report says work, equipment or a removal attempt disturbed the hive first: a backhoe in Encinitas, an exterminator in Redondo Beach, palm trimming in Indio, a car crash in La Cañada, grading in Riverside, date spraying in the 2017 orchard death, a tractor in San Marcos, honey harvesting in Ceres and a do-it-yourself removal in Lake Mathews. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)
8. Ten reports do not say where the hive was. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)

News coverage is uneven. Southern California has more local TV stations than most of the state, and I work here, so this log leans south. The Diamond Bar bees were said to come from a neighbor's hive that had been knocked over.

Firefighters and police

When first responders get stung

Bee calls put firefighters and police in the middle of the bees, often before they have protective gear on. These are the cases in the log where responders were stung, and what the reports say crews did.

1. In Pasadena in February 2020, two firefighters and a police officer were among five people hospitalized. The first firefighter took 15 to 20 stings, and all five were released that night. (Source: Pasadena Fire Department, via Yahoo News, 2020)
2. The LAPD volunteer stung in Encino in May 2023 fell several times, spent several days in the hospital and needed facial surgery. The city agreed to cover his expenses. (Source: Los Angeles Times, via Police1, May 2023)
3. In Lake Forest in July 2018, four firefighters were stung and two were hospitalized in stable condition. (Source: ABC7 Los Angeles, July 17, 2018)
4. In Palm Desert in March 2014, five firefighters were stung during the rescue and three were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. (Source: International Business Times, March 9, 2014)
5. In Fountain Valley in June 2021, the first firefighters to reach the victims were overrun and called for backup. Six fire engines and five ambulances responded. (Source: Los Angeles Times, via Firehouse and FireRescue1, June 24, 2021)
6. Two firefighters were stung in Santa Ana in September 2011, and three were stung in Loma Linda in July 2015. (Source: NBC News, 2011; ABC7 Los Angeles, July 6, 2015)
7. Reports describe crews using water and firefighting foam on bees in Murrieta, Monterey Park, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, and carbon dioxide extinguishers in Lake Forest and Pasadena. (Source: CBS Los Angeles; FireRescue1; LAist; Firehouse; ABC7 Los Angeles; Yahoo News)
8. A Huntington Beach fire captain said crews use a mix of water and foam because foam keeps bees from flying. (Source: LAist, June 17, 2017)
9. Murrieta's fire department said its engines carry bee kits. (Source: Murrieta Fire & Rescue, via Yahoo News, 2023)
10. In at least six of the logged incidents, a private bee removal or pest control company was called in to deal with the colony after the rescue: Palm Desert, Lake Forest, Fountain Valley, Encino, Murrieta and San Marcos. (Source: International Business Times; ABC7 Los Angeles; Firehouse; CBS Los Angeles; ABC 10News San Diego)

The Pasadena contract followed the Encino attack that month and Pasadena's own 2020 incident. The news report does not give the contract amount.

From the field

What I tell people after 15 years of bee calls

These are my own views from doing this work. They are not agency guidance.

1. Don't go looking for a credit card to scrape out a stinger. By the time you pull one out, the whole venom sac has pumped into you. Scratch the stinger off with your fingernail right away. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy (owner-stated, November 2026))
2. If a swarm is passing or a few curious bees are buzzing around you, stay still and even hold your breath, and they will move on. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy (owner-stated, November 2026))
3. A hive that has been knocked over or had something thrown at it is different. The entire colony comes after you, and that is when the agencies' advice to run and get inside a car or building applies. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy (owner-stated, November 2026); UC Riverside Department of Entomology)
4. UC Cooperative Extension says a stinger pumps most of its venom in the first minute, so it should be removed quickly. (Source: UC ANR Publication 8068, 2002)
5. The worst scene I have ever worked was a hive of about 400 pounds in the roof of an apartment complex in Los Angeles, roughly nine years ago. Nobody was stung, because the hive was high up on the roof. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy (owner-stated, November 2026))
6. Keep a stung person calm while help is on the way. It takes a while for responders to get there, and a single minute can make a huge difference. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy (owner-stated, November 2026))
7. One of the guys I trained got stung for the first time in his life and showed the signs of a severe allergic reaction. I talked him through slowing his breathing down and told him not to scratch, even though it itches. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy (owner-stated, November 2026))
8. Most people having a severe allergic reaction feel lightheaded and get hot very fast. Getting them down with their legs raised sends blood toward the head and helps keep them from passing out. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy (owner-stated, November 2026))
9. The allergy charity Anaphylaxis UK says to lie a conscious person flat with their legs raised, or propped up with legs straight if breathing is difficult, to give prescribed adrenaline straight away, and not to let them stand up or walk even if they start to feel better. (Source: Anaphylaxis UK, What to do in an emergency)

Agencies differ on how to remove a stinger. The California Poison Control System suggests a flat object such as a credit card, and San Bernardino County says a fingernail or a dull knife. They agree that speed matters most. The 400-pound figure is my own estimate. I did not weigh the hive, but I am a powerlifter and I can judge weight pretty accurately by feel. That job was before I started filming my removals, so there is no video of it. Keeping someone calm is not a treatment for a severe allergic reaction. Call 911 right away if a stung person has trouble breathing, and use an epinephrine auto-injector if one is prescribed.

Safety

What to do in a bee attack

This is what public agencies in California tell people to do. The log above shows why: the people hurt worst were the ones who could not get away or get indoors.

1. UC Riverside advises getting away and sheltering in a car or building even if some bees follow, and not jumping into water, because the bees will still be there when you come up. (Source: UC Riverside Department of Entomology)
2. San Diego County advises running by a direct route until the bees stop following, which can be up to half a mile. (Source: San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures)
3. San Bernardino County advises running in a straight line, not standing still, and not slapping at the bees. (Source: San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services)
4. San Bernardino County advises scraping stingers off with a fingernail or a dull knife and not squeezing them with tweezers or fingers. (Source: San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services)
5. CDPH recommends that workers allergic to insect stings see a health care professional about an epinephrine auto-injector, carry it at all times, and tell their employer and coworkers. (Source: CDPH, FACE Report 17CA003, 2018)
6. CDPH recommends that employers check the work area each day for hives or swarms and keep workers away from a hive until a professional removes it. (Source: CDPH, FACE Report 17CA003, 2018)
7. In the Lake Mathews incident, a homeowner in a bee suit tried to remove a fence hive himself after watching videos. The bees chased his golf cart for about a mile and attacked a neighbor's dog. (Source: ABC7 Los Angeles, May 22 and 23, 2023)

This is general public guidance from the agencies named, not medical advice. For the national numbers on sting deaths and allergies, see my bee sting statistics page.

The bigger picture

Killer bee attacks in California: how rare are deaths

Attacks like the ones in this log are frightening, but deaths are rare. The national numbers put them in context.

1. Yearly U.S. deaths from hornet, wasp and bee stings ranged from 59 in 2012 to 89 in 2017, and 84% of the deaths were among males. (Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, MMWR QuickStats, 2023)
2. CDC's figures combine hornets, wasps and bees. They do not count honey bee deaths separately. (Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, MMWR QuickStats, 2023)
3. A 2015 UC San Diego study found Africanized genetic traits in more than 60% of foraging honey bees sampled in San Diego County, and in about 13% of managed hives. (Source: UC San Diego news release, September 11, 2015)
4. Responders or removal companies described the bees as Africanized, or suspected it, in at least five of the logged incidents: Palm Desert, Huntington Beach, Pasadena, Lake Mathews and San Marcos. I did not find a lab test cited in those reports. (Source: Eli the Bee Guy's count of the incidents logged on this page)

Africanized and European honey bees cannot be told apart by eye. A colony's behavior on the day is not a lab result, so I do not label any incident in this log as Africanized.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

Related on this site

• Bee sting statistics
• Africanized bee facts
• Emergency bee removal
• Africanized bees in SoCal: what to do

How this page was made

Methodology & sources

Every incident on this page comes from a named news report, fire department statement or state agency report, and I read each one before adding it. Sting counts, injuries and hive locations are the ones given in that report. Where reports disagree, I say so. The counts in the patterns section are my own tallies of this log. This is not an official count, and attacks that were never reported are missing. I update the page when a new incident is reported.

• ABC7 Los Angeles (KABC)
• ABC 10News San Diego (KGTV)
• NBC 7 San Diego
• CBS Los Angeles
• CBS News
• KTLA
• LAist
• Los Angeles Times, via Firehouse and FireRescue1
• The Santa Clarita Valley Signal
• Patch
• The Desert Sun, via FOX 29
• Fox News
• HuffPost
• International Business Times
• Yahoo News
• Riverside County Fire Department
• Pasadena Fire Department
• Orange County Fire Authority
• California Department of Public Health (CA/FACE Report 17CA003)
• CDC National Center for Health Statistics (MMWR QuickStats)
• UC Riverside Department of Entomology
• UC San Diego
• San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures
• San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services
• California Poison Control System
• Anaphylaxis UK
• NBC News
• ABC News
• East County Magazine
• Associated Press
• KPCC
• East Valley Fire Department
• Santa Ana Fire Department
• Cal Fire
• Los Angeles Times, via Police1