After a North Richland Hills man died this week from a horrific bee attack, NBC 5 set out to uncover the warning signs that could have been there before the incident.
We spoke with experts who showed us how to spot a potentially dangerous colony before it could become a threat.
On September 24, it was a chaotic scene: bees filled the air on Cross Drive in North Richland Hills, and an elderly man lay on the ground covered by the swarm.
“His face had blood all over it,” said one witness at the scene. “You could just see that he was in not a good state, he was in despair and his hand just kept on moving.”
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Loved ones told NBC 5 that 72-year-old Lonnie Dorsey died this week after a two-week fight in the ICU.
Dorsey was doing yard work outside his home when the swarm of bees came out of a tree and attacked him.
“He was covered in bees like a carpet had been put over his whole top part,” said Patricia Burns, Dorsey’s partner.
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The swarm shut down the neighborhood for hours, with authorities asking people living on Cross Drive to stay in their homes while experts removed the hive.
“Some people believe that a hive has to be there for years to be able to be that aggressive, that’s not the case,” said Harold Wright, owner of Bee Safe Bee Removal. “The hive could have been there for just a couple of months.”
Harold Wright is a longtime bee removal expert.
He told NBC 5 that since 2014 his company has responded to at least four cases of fatal bee attacks in the Metroplex.
“The unfortunate thing about honeybees is it only takes really one bee sting to kill someone if they are either highly allergic or if the bee stings you in a certain place,” said Wright.
Wright said there were warning signs that could show if a potentially dangerous hive is nearby.
He said if you can see a constant stream of bees going in and out of an opening in a home or tree, and if that opening is relatively close to the ground, it’s best to call an expert to get it checked – before it turns into a potentially life-threatening situation.
“Get it removed before either you, or your neighbor, or someone, a bystander walking by, gets attacked and either they end up in the hospital or they die or you get sued,” said Wright. “Just basically, protect your community.
Dorsey’s partner told NBC 5 that Dorsey was allergic to bees. She hopes people will learn the warning signs to avoid falling victim to similar attacks.
