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Just a heads up if you hike up the backside of North Mountain, there is a pretty aggressive swarm of bees up there. Not on the trail to goes up from Trail 60, but the lightly used trail further north on the mountain that starts from Trail 100. So if anyone saw a crazy looking guy flying down the mountain and cursing like a sailor this afternoon, that was me. Got stung a bunch of times on my head and could feel the little buggers crawling around in my hair. Stopped to catch my breath about 400 yards from the swarm and they were still chasing me. I have never seen bees that aggressive before while out hiking. Guess I need to add bees to the list of what to watch out for when hiking in Arizona.

Sorry to hear that you got stung. I hope your OK. I'm glad to see someone posting this topic. I ran in to bees yesterday on lookout mountain( just west of the main peak) luckily I didn't get stung

Got used to seeing mellow bees when I lived in Idaho. You could walk through a field of wildflowers and bees and pretty much be left alone. The swarm I ran into started attacking me when I was a good 10+ yards away, then kept following me. I've never seen bees attack like that.

So far so good, the swelling is minimal and hoping a bourbon will help.

SpiderLegs wrote:... hoping a bourbon will help.

Couldn't hurt.

I have to take an Africanized bee safety class every years for my work. Dark clothing, loud noises and fast movements will set them off. Once they start to attack, they won't stop and will even wait for you if you go underwater. I've take the class so many times I can't count and all I've got out of it is - if you find yourself being attacked RUN, RUN and RUN some more!!!

This is probably old news to most, but if you see a swarm of bees passing by, I've been told to just stay still and quiet because they are on the move and have no interest in attacking you. Just after moving here, Liz and I were in the north mountain preserve one day and saw a giant swarm fly about 3 feet over our heads. We had no idea how to react, so we very quietly and slowly crept away. Smart move I think. I was more nervous about her. Bee stings for me are simply like nasty mosquitoe bites. For her however, she got a single sting at Camelback one day to the wrist, and half her arm was swelling. Not good.

In April of 2010 I got stung on my Forehead by at least 1 Africanized bee, maybe 2. Glad it was just those, as i had a welt on my forehead with a small crater that took over a month to heel. Those were near the summit of Pyramid Peak up west of 17 and south of the 303 loop. The peak is a scramble, so swarm attack would probably have been deadly. I recall a hive or something being near the rocky summit.

SpiderLegs wrote:
... I've never seen bees attack like that.

So far so good, the swelling is minimal and hoping a bourbon will help.

Seems that getting the bees to drink the bourbon would be the hard part.


Sgt Lumpy - n0eq

SgtLumpy wrote: Seems that getting the bees to drink the bourbon would be the hard part.


Sgt Lumpy - n0eq

Trust me, if they sting me it won't be an issue.

I'm pretty sure that bees won't attack at all under certain circumstances, such as the one described when you saw the flying swarm. I've forgotten the specifics--I would have to go back to reading up on bee-havior, which I did when I used to keep a couple of hives about 30 years ago.

I've ridden my bike through flying storms several times....no stings.

beterarcher wrote:I've ridden my bike through flying storms several times....no stings.

But did your bicycle survive?

Running a bulldozer while young and stupid I often disturbed bee and wasp nests and they always attacked the bulldozers running engine and not me. Scary at times but soon got used to it.

Bike is OK, thanks

It's interesting as my wife and I get older we fear bees more than rattlesnakes.

Bees are interesting. Spent last weekend planting some flowering shrubs and flowers while keeping a can of soda around. Got regular old bees flying around us trying to get to the can of soda and/or flowers. Did not have one issue what so ever. The swarm that attacked me came after me from at least 10 yards away and continued the pursuit for at least a quarter mile. Those African bees are mean, aggressive lil' SOB's.

Hopefully, after a while, breeding with European bees (regular ones) will tone down the angry gene in the African ones.

I've encountered basketball to beachball sized flying swarms a couple of times ... these are bees in search of a new home, and they will not attack - it's the bees that are defending their current hive that you need to worry about.
And I also fear bees (much) more than rattlesnakes - mainly because they are so unpredictable, and once they attack unrelenting.

beterarcher wrote:Hopefully, after a while, breeding with European bees (regular ones) will tone down the angry gene in the African ones.

This has already happened quite a bit over the past 20 years or so. Beekeepers routinely switch out queens in their own hives. They want good honey producers and active pollinators, but also can breed for gentleness.

It would take around 7 stings per pound to kill a person (not allergic to bees) !! That makes me feel a little better about being overweight - per the American Medical Association

If you are 200 pounds, that is 1400 stings. I think around 100 I would be wishing I was dead, and not wanting to endure a further 1300 ...