Aggressive Bees Swarm Concord Neighborhood; Pets Killed
CONCORD (KPIX 5) -- A swarm of bees has been attacking a Concord neighborhood, stinging people and killing pets.
• UPDATE: Bee Swarm In Concord That Killed 2 Dogs Gradually Dissipating
The swarm is moving across several blocks near the intersection of Cowell Road and Treat Boulevard.
Several people have been stung and at least two dogs died.
Police are urgently trying to find a solution, and enlisted bee experts to relocate the insects as soon as possible.
The bees were so relentless, KPIX 5's reporter Da Lin said he couldn't get out of his van. Even with the windows closed they were still trying to get in, pounding at the window.
A bee keeper says the hive is somewhere near a carport, but the bees have taken over a couple of blocks of Hitchcock Road, attacking anything and anyone who's outside. It's like a scene from the birds, but with bees instead.
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They even chased a police officer back into his cruiser.
Resident Mike Mally was stung during an on camera interview. He said he's been stung several times.
"Five, six, seven, eight, nine (gets stung)… oh now ten times," he said wincing. "Damn it. It hurts."
The venom from the stinger causes the skin to swell.
Aside from attacking people, the bees have killed a bird and two small dogs named Milo and Gunner. The veterinarian said she stopped counting after she pulled out 50 stingers from each dog.
The bees look like honey bees, but they're anything but.
Master bee keeper Marcin Wojcikowski believes these are Africanized killer bees.
KPIX 5 interviewed him from inside a van. He was standing outside, very still.
"If you ignore the bees like me right now, they don't sting you," said Wojcikowski. Then he moved his hand. "If you make some very fast movement, like me right now, they become more aggressive."
As though on cue the bees began to sting him.
Postal carrier Melissa Weisner was attacked, too. Several people ran to help her.
"[They were] climbing up my hair, all over my head. I was running and screaming," she said. "I got really lucky, I only got stung twice."
Hopefully they will return to their colony Saturday night. That's when the bee keeper will return and try and get them away from this neighborhood under siege.