Tag: Bees

An Arizona golf course worker was killed by a swarm of bees while mowing in ‘tragic workplace accident’

The agronomy team worker was mowing in the area when he was stung.

A golf course employee died after being attacked by a swarm of bees in Arizona.

The incident happened in late June, near hole 8 at Pusch Ridge Course, part of El Conquistador Golf in Oro Valley, about 10 miles north of Tucson.

The agronomy team worker, Rick Messina, was mowing in the area when he was stung, El Conquistador Golf said in a statement to USA Today.

Someone called authorities about the incident at 7:17 a.m. on June 24, said Darren Wright, a spokesperson for the Oro Valley Police Department. Messina was taken to a local hospital and died three days later on June 27.

The day of the incident, beekeepers inspected all 45 golf holes on the property. The beekeepers found no hives nor bee activity and gave the property the all-clear.

“It appears Rick was attacked by a traveling swarm of bees,” El Conquistador Golf said in its statement to USA Today.

Employee was ‘dedicated’ and ‘cherished’ at golf course

Messina was 57 years old and worked for El Conquistador Golf’s agronomy team since July 2022, the company told USA Today.

The company also sent a statement to golf club members about his death.

Calling the event a “tragic workplace accident,” the company said it is saddened over his death and he died from “complications from the bee stings.”

“Rick was a dedicated and cherished member of our team, known for his exceptional work ethic, positive attitude, and unwavering commitment to his duties,” the statement read. “El Conquistador Golf and Indigo Sports has deployed support resources to both Rick’s family and our team to help all navigate through this difficult time.”

Bees making headlines in Arizona

According to local experts, summer is “peak season for bee swarms,” El Conquistador Golf wrote.

A bee colony forms on the net high above home plate that caused a two-hour delay of the game between the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on April 30, 2024.

Bees in Arizona also made headlines in early May when they caused a delay at an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game.

There was a delay during the team’s April 30th game against the Los Angeles Dodgers because bees had begun to gather at the 30-foot netting behind home plate. There were hundreds of them.

Concerned that a foul ball could hit the netting and disturb the bees, managers hired an exterminator to take the bees away.

“It would have happened,” said Mike Rock, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ vice president of ballpark operations. “In that position, the net would have been hit hard enough and it would have stirred the whole thing and they could have dropped down into the people below.”

The exterminator sprayed the bees with solution and then vacuumed them up. It took less than 10 minutes, according to the Arizona Republic, part of the USA Today Network. The crowd was able to watch the exterminator work in real-time on the stadium’s video board.

What to do if you see a swarm of bees

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that between 2011 and 2021, there were 788 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings, an average of 72 deaths per year.

The annual number of deaths ranged from 59 in 2012 to 89 in 2017. The CDC said 84% of deaths occurred among males.

It’s best to stay calm and leave when swarms of bees are nearby, the Republic reported.

“When dealing with bees that start coming towards you, the first thing they will do is bump you, because if they sting you they die,” Duane Combs, president of the Beekeepers Association of Central Arizona and University of Montana master beekeeper told the Republic.

“When you see bees circling around you or bumping you, you need to back up and back out of the area.”

It’s also important to avoid:

  • Wearing dark, loose clothing or shiny objects while hiking
  • Wearing perfumes, cologne or strong scent
  • Jerky movements near hives
  • Swatting at bees

Contributing: Nick Piecoro, Kye Graves; Arizona Republic

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.

WATCH: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes chased by bee at training camp

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes got a workout running away from a pesky bee during training camp practice on Thursday.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, several other quarterbacks, and members of the offensive coaching staff had to deal with a fan of the buzzing variety during Thursday’s training camp practice.

KSHB-TV sports anchor Aaron Ladd captured a video of a bee chasing after Patrick Mahomes and pestering the other quarterbacks. He also had a pretty clever caption.

“With the bee-fence closing in, Mahomes escapes the pocket,” Ladd wrote.

You can see backup QB Shane Buechele and Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy swatting at the bee as it flies around the huddled group of players and coaches. It took a liking to Mahomes, who fled the scene as quickly as possible.

Mahomes had his own response on Twitter, which evoked some memories of former Chiefs S Eric Berry and his fear of horses.

“I don’t mess with bees,” Mahomes wrote on Twitter.

Hopefully, Mahomes won’t be facing the Steelers in their “bumblebee” throwback uniforms anytime soon.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

How to build a DIY bee house for Earth Day

It’s the bee’s knees.

Need to add some buzz to your life without caffeine? Bee houses might be perfect for you. While building and maintaining a bee house isn’t for everyone, it is a great way to be a friend to these little critters. Most people have heard about the issues bees face, and many know how important bees are as pollinators. So, how can you help support these important insects? If you don’t have the green thumb required for a pollinator garden, consider setting up a DIY bee house for Earth Day (April 22) this year.

But wait! Before jumping into this project, there are some things you should know first. Unfortunately, even if you have the best of intentions, it’s possible to cause more harm than good when setting up a bee house.

A wood tube full of paper tubes hanging against a fence.
Photo by Timo Newton-Syms

As Gwen Pearson, an entomologist at Purdue University, told Earther, “It’s such a fantastic desire to be helpful and fix the things we see that are broken around us. That’s wonderful and I honor that so much, but the problem is the world is really complex.” Before building a bee house, research native bees in your area. Not all species will benefit from a bee house, and many bees throughout the United States are solitary creatures.

A small wood house full of holes, labeled "Native Bee House."
Photo by Bob Klannukarn

Prospective bee house builders should also know what maintaining a bee house entails. If these structures aren’t cared for and kept up, they can attract pollen mites. These mites can steal food from bees and even latch onto them. Avoid issues like this with routine bee house cleaning and maintenance. Only install a bee house if you can commit to monitoring it for moisture, pests, and predatory birds.

If you’re not scared off by these stipulations, then congratulations! You might have what it takes to keep a bee house in your yard. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

DIY bee house materials

Before building, gather the right materials and know which materials to avoid. Speaking of materials to avoid, don’t build with bamboo. This reedy material can trap moisture, which isn’t ideal for bee houses.

Instead, build with untreated pine wood, or even harder woods. The main structures in your bee house will be wood blocks with hollow tubes in which bees can nest. Cardboard tubes and paper straws can be used to create these tubes.

Bee house building instructions

Bee houses can vary from simple container homes to multi-level bee hotels. If you want to start with a simple container home, repurpose old containers. Thoroughly clean your container of choice, poke holes in the sides to create air vents, and fill the container with paper straws or small cardboard tubes. When placing the container home, choose a spot where it will be sheltered from wind and rain. Too much of either will disturb the bees. Crown Bees can provide further guidance if you face issues during your build.

Pros seeking a more involved bee house set-up may want to explore designs for a bee hotel. These larger structures can feature several levels of nesting trays for bees. Find a high-quality mason bee hotel design from Colin Purrington, bee enthusiast and former evolutionary biology professor at Swarthmore College, here.

‘Covid for bees’ could devastate Australian almond industry

Varroa destructor has wormed its way into beehives in Australia.

A parasite has arrived on Australian shores, and it could be bad news for bees. The parasite, known as varroa mites or varroa destructor, feeds on and can kill bees. After officials identified the parasite in hives near New South Wales’ Port of Newcastle, an emergency biosecurity zone was created to prevent it from spreading. Despite this, as of June 25, the parasite was detected at hives roughly six miles from the port. Cormac Farrell, Australian Parliament House’s head beekeeper, described the situation as “like Covid for bees.”

Similar to COVID prevention, Australia’s current parasite prevention method includes lockdown. A movement ban for apiaries across New South Wales could halt further spread. As Farrell explained, “we have to stop [the parasite] at the border to stop it from spreading through the wider landscape and make sure that it can’t get out and infect other hives.”

Two beekeepers passing a slice of bee hive between them.

While beekeepers wait for the outbreak to die down, Australia’s almond industry worries over what to do without bees. According to Tim Jackson, the Almond Board of Australia’s CEO, “the timing of the outbreak could not be worse for the almond industry.”

Almonds require bees for pollination. A bee shortage in August could devastate the country’s almond blossom season. Continued parasite problems could also impact apple crops in September and avocados in October. However, Jackson says, “it’s a bit early to be panicking.”

“All efforts have been made to minimise the impact of this incursion while also recognising the very serious threat that it poses,” Jackson told The Guardian.

As Australia’s beekeepers and almond industry work to mitigate possible damage, Farrell shares an important message.

“Even if it’s scary, please just sit tight,” Farrell said. “Let [Department of Primary Industries] do their job.”