Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) - A dog was killed and several others were injured after swarms of bees attacked them at their home near Rainbow and Westcliff on Saturday afternoon.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue responded to the 200 block of Lorenzi Street Saturday after receiving reports that bees were swarming in the area and that a dog was being attacked.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find bees were very active over the entire block and they advised residents to shelter in place. Three people inside the home where the dog was were safe inside their home but they had been stung also. Firefighters used foam to disperse the bees and to rescue the dog but it had already succumb from the stings. It was removed from the scene by City of Las Vegas Animal Control. Once the dog was removed from the area and the citizens that were stung stayed in their homes, the bees started to calm down.
It’s not exactly known where the bees came from, but it is believed the bees have a hive in the area where the dog was found. When a bee stings, its stinger releases an odor that is detected by the bees back in the hive warning of a nearby predator and they need to assist and defend. Bees do not attack at random, they defend their hive which is the equivalent of a home invasion for humans. They are trying to protect their home. As long as the odor is present, they will remain active looking for the attacker.
It’s not known what caused the encounter.
This is the third encounter with bees in the city this week that Fire & Rescue has responded to. It is the swarming season, this is the time of year that occurrences are more frequent.