A neighborhood located in North Las Vegas on Lone Mountain Road has been the sight of several killer bee attacks on dogs and a few humans. Three dogs of various sizes have died as a result of being attacked by the Africanized Honey Bee or Killer Bee. Signs posted at the front of the neighborhood warned off visitors because of the bees.
Sadly, two dogs lost their lives before the hive was found and professionally removed.
Killer bees (also known as Africanized honey bees) are super-social bees. What this means is that they will swarm in great numbers to protect their hive against any perceived danger. This includes animals and humans that come too close to the hive. Only 10 percent of all bees are social bees, and only half of those bees are super-social.
Protecting Your Dog From Bee Attacks
Protecting your dog or other pets can be fairly simple if you use the following suggestions:
- Always Check Your Property. Las Vegas offers the perfect climate for Killer Bees, and they can build a hive at any time of the year. You should carefully check your property at least once a week for evidence of bee activity. Seeing bees moving back and forth into a specific area indicates a hive nearby. Contact a professional pest control service immediately to have the hive removed. Never remove the hive yourself.
- Keep Pets Indoors When Doing Yard Work. The vibrating sound from weed eaters, blowers, and other landscaping equipment can cause bees to believe that their hive is in danger. Always remain alert when you are using these items and ask kids to play inside.
- Keep Dogs On Pathways When Walking. Most dogs like to run off of the path or bounce through the shrubbery when they are walking or hiking with you. In the wild, thick underbrush and shrubbery is the perfect place for Killer Bees to make a hive.
What To Do If Your Dog Is Attacked By Killer Bees
If your dog comes under attack by Killer Bees, there are two options that you can take that will stop the attack. However, it should be noted that these tactics are very risky and may cause you to become a victim of bee stings. Do not attempt a rescue if you have any chance of being allergic to bee stings.
- Call your dog into the house. Getting the dog away from a majority of the swarm will reduce the amount of bees stings. Be careful to not allow bees to follow the dog into the home.
- Dose dog with warm soapy water. The soap in the water will suffocate the bees and they will begin to fall off
- If you cannot dose with soapy water, cover the dog with a thick blanket. The blanket will suffocate the bees.
Take your dog immediately to the nearest vet if it has received multiple stings. While it is very uncommon for dogs to be allergic to the bee venom, excessive amounts of the venom in the dogs system can cause the dog to become sick. Additionally, the vet will need to ensure that all of the stingers are remove to avoid infection.
It is very important to remember that you should never remove the stingers by squeezing them with your fingers or using tweezers. Bee venom is stored in the stinger and when you place pressure on the stinger, or squeeze it, you are injecting more of the venom into the skin.
Make Your Home And Property Unfriendly To Bees
The best thing that you can do to protect your family and your pets is to maintain your property in a manner that is unfriendly to bees. Bees can enter a space as small as 3/16 in diameter to build a hive if there is sufficient space behind the opening for the colony.
- Fill all cracks and holes that are 1/8 of an inch or larger in your roofing, walls, siding, and foundation.
- Choose flowers and flowering plants that are not attractive to bees, and do not cluster too many in one area.
- Cover chimney and vents with a fine wire mesh.
- Look for cracks around vents and chimney and make sure they are filled.
- Remove any debris that is on the property and could provide shelter for the bees.
- Make sure all windows and screens are tight fitting.
- Check sheds, especially the doors, to make sure there are no cracks or holes that can be infiltrated by the bees.
If you discover a colony of bees on your property, do not approach the hive. Killer bees will attack, and they will not stop until they believe the threat is gone. If you find bee activity or a hive on your property, call a professional exterminator immediately and allow them to remove the hive.