An elderly man who has been stung dozens of times by a swarm of bees while lying on the floor with a broken hip has described the pain he had suffered as “excruciating.”
Carl Amos, 81, was mowing his lawn in the small town of Maysville in the US State of Oklahoma when the insects assaulted him.
He initially thought applying some insect repellent would be sufficient. However, the number of bees rapidly increased.
As he attempted to escape the swarm, Carl broke his hip. Being unable to move, the pensioner – who was alone at home – was lying on the ground for three hours.
His wife Barbara told local broadcaster KOKH-TV: “He realised he was in trouble because more bees were coming and stinging and he couldn’t see and couldn’t move because of his broken hip.”
Overall, Carl reportedly suffered around 200 stings. He was eventually rescued by a group of construction workers who walked past his property.
Barbara emphasised: “They really saved his life and we are eternally grateful.”
Carl – who was hospitalised and operated on – is understood to have made a full recovery.
Speaking to the Washington Post, the Maysville resident revealed he had been unable to call for help as tears kept filling his eyes during the attack.
Carl reportedly also fired three shots into the air with his gun to attract the attention of passersby or neighbours.
He admitted: “The pain was excruciating. I can’t tell you how much it hurt.”
Reflecting on the traumatising incident, Carl said: “I realised I had to get out of there because they were really coming down on me.”
The 81-year-old concluded: “I may not be mowing the lawn anymore.”
It is understood that the Maysville swarm consisted of Africanised bees.
This hybrid subspecies reacts to disturbances 10 times faster than other types of bees, according to entomologists.
The Smithsonian – a renowned American research centre – informs in a fact sheet: “Africanised honeybees are dangerous because they attack intruders in numbers much greater than European honeybees.”
Experts say that anyone attacked by a swarm of bees should calmly walk away in a straight line and hide in an enclosed facility.
Dr Justin O. Schmidt from the University of Arizona – told the Scientific American: “Bees don’t form images in the same way that humans do. They use vision primarily to detect motion and quick or jerky movements near a nest are interpreted as a threat.”
The entomologist added: “When you see a bee buzzing near your head, I know it’s very satisfying to flap your arms. It just feels so good to swat at it – don’t do it!”
Dr Schmidt warned such a reaction would only “make everything worse” as the insects might feel threatened.
