Advice for if you hike in the southwest

[Shutterbug]

I know that some of you hike in Arizona or other southern states. You might not know about the bees. Yesterday, a hiker was killed by a swarm of bees -- http://www.wkyc.com/mb/news/nation-n...r-being-stung-

All of the bees in southern Arizona are "Africanized." That doesn't make their sting any more potent, but the Africanized bees tend to be more aggressive. This time of year, they swarm and a hiker can encounter them in unexpected places.

If you are attacked, the best defense is to take cover in a vehicle or building. Even if a few of the bees get in with you, you can fight them off. A healthy person without allergies can live with up to 2,000 stings.

If you are outside and are attacked by a swarm of bees, run into the wind at a pace that you can maintain for at least 1/4 mile. Bees don't fly very fast, so most people can run faster than they can fly. Keep running until the bees give up. That could be 1/4 mile or farther.

[Bronk]

I know that some of you hike in Arizona or other southern states. You might not know about the bees. Yesterday, a hiker was killed by a swarm of bees -- http://www.wkyc.com/mb/news/nation-n...r-being-stung-

All of the bees in southern Arizona are "Africanized." That doesn't make their sting any more potent, but the Africanized bees tend to be more aggressive. This time of year, they swarm and a hiker can encounter them in unexpected places.

If you are attacked, the best defense is to take cover in a vehicle or building. Even if a few of the bees get in with you, you can fight them off. A healthy person without allergies can live with up to 2,000 stings.

If you are outside and are attacked by a swarm of bees, run into the wind at a pace that you can maintain for at least 1/4 mile. Bees don't fly very fast, so most people can run faster than they can fly. Keep running until the bees give up. That could be 1/4 mile or farther.

While its possible that Africanized bees are different, I can tell you that I've kept bees for more than 5 years and when they swarm they are the most docile you will find them. Reason being is that they gorge themselves on honey before they leave the parent hive. Its like what you feel like after Thanksgiving dinner...your belly is full and you just want to sit on the couch and take a nap. Beekeepers take advantage of this in several ways...if you've ever seen a beekeeper pumping smoke into a hive it is for the same reason: the bees think the hive is on fire and they gorge themselves on honey in case they need to abandon it...this makes the bees docile so the beekeeper can work the hive. I've only been stung by a bee twice in the time I've kept bees.

Having said that I wouldn't want to fool with Africanized bees...most beekeepers will completely exterminate a "hot" hive if they have even the slightest inkling that it could contain Africanized bees.

[CamelMan]

Great. I was just considering posting a thread in the AZT subforum called "How's the Hiking in Arizona?", LOL.

Interesting about the smoke. I always thought it affects the bees directly somehow.

[Shutterbug]

Great. I was just considering posting a thread in the AZT subforum called "How's the Hiking in Arizona?", LOL.

Interesting about the smoke. I always thought it affects the bees directly somehow.

Hiking in Arizona is great. I spend winters in Green Valley, just south of Tucson. I have never had a problem with bees but realize that someone gets stung to death every two or three years. One is a lot more likely to die in a traffic accident.

[Shutterbug]

While its possible that Africanized bees are different, I can tell you that I've kept bees for more than 5 years and when they swarm they are the most docile you will find them. Reason being is that they gorge themselves on honey before they leave the parent hive. Its like what you feel like after Thanksgiving dinner...your belly is full and you just want to sit on the couch and take a nap. Beekeepers take advantage of this in several ways...if you've ever seen a beekeeper pumping smoke into a hive it is for the same reason: the bees think the hive is on fire and they gorge themselves on honey in case they need to abandon it...this makes the bees docile so the beekeeper can work the hive. I've only been stung by a bee twice in the time I've kept bees.

Having said that I wouldn't want to fool with Africanized bees...most beekeepers will completely exterminate a "hot" hive if they have even the slightest inkling that it could contain Africanized bees.

Interesting, but how do you explain the swarm of bees attacking a hiker? I don't claim to be an expert about the bees, but the "experts" who are on the news in Arizona from time to time say that the Africanized bees become upset by noise. Many of the attacks in southern Arizona are on people operating loud machines.

Other than the news report I linked above, the only time I know of a hiker being attacked was when a barking dog upset a hive.

I read several different accounts of this incident and none of them mentioned noises. The news reports gave no indication of why this particular hiker was attacked and other's weren't.

[Pedaling Fool]

Whoops, I just opened a thread on this, sorry...

[Bronk]

Interesting, but how do you explain the swarm of bees attacking a hiker? I don't claim to be an expert about the bees, but the "experts" who are on the news in Arizona from time to time say that the Africanized bees become upset by noise. Many of the attacks in southern Arizona are on people operating loud machines.

Other than the news report I linked above, the only time I know of a hiker being attacked was when a barking dog upset a hive.

I read several different accounts of this incident and none of them mentioned noises. The news reports gave no indication of why this particular hiker was attacked and other's weren't.

I would guess that this person got too close to the hive, perhaps physically disturbing it. The noise thing makes a lot of sense. One of the challenges beekeepers have is finding a place to put their hives where you won't disturb them when you mow the lawn...they really don't like the sound of the mower getting too close.

Completely different thing, but one time I was nailing something to a fence post and unbeknownst to me there was a yellow jacket's nest in the ground next to the fence post and when I started pounding on that post it really pissed them off. I ended up being stung in the upper lip and my whole face swelled.

[CamelMan]

yellow jacket's nest in the ground

I had my first run-in with hornets last year but I'm not sure if they were ground-nesting or not, because I first felt the stings as I was waving hiking sticks at a couple of bears and hit the tree above me. I got 6 stings. Five then and there, then one for revenge when I passed the area on my way back! That same hike, I was looking at the ground when I ran into a 4" piece of deadfall laying across the trail right at forehead level. I fell back and landed on my a$$. I did learn a valuable lesson about looking up, LOL. It was a cursed hike.

Not to derail too much, but I'm glad that hiking in Arizona is good, I'll have to look into it more since I'm considering moving there. I refuse to move anywhere cold.

[Shutterbug]

Not to derail too much, but I'm glad that hiking in Arizona is good, I'll have to look into it more since I'm considering moving there. I refuse to move anywhere cold.

CamelMan, there are a lot of different hiking possibilities in Arizona. Let me give you four suggestions to get started:

1. Grand Canyon -- I hike in the Grand Canyon three or four times a year. Getting permits is harder than it used to be, but once you learn the system, you can get several permits a year.

2. Supai -- Supai is also a Grand Canyon hike, but it is outside the National Park. The beautiful waterfalls make it a spectacular hike.

3. Aravapai Canyon -- There is a wilderness area southeast of Phoenix where a number of springs form a creek. The creek runs through a canyon for about 20 miles, then the creek is once again absorbed by the desert. The creek has been running long enough to form a slot canyon. It is an unusual hike.

4. Santa Rita Mountains -- Because I winter south of Tucson, I do a lot of hiking in the Santa Rita Mountains. Mt. Wrightson, the tallest mountain in southern Arizona is almost 10,000 feet. There are a number of great hikes out of Madera Canyon.

[Bronk]

That same hike, I was looking at the ground when I ran into a 4" piece of deadfall laying across the trail right at forehead level. I fell back and landed on my a$$. I did learn a valuable lesson about looking up, LOL. It was a cursed hike.

This same thing happened to me in the smokies...it was pouring down rain and I was cold and soaked to the bone...just focusing on getting to the shelter and looking down at my feet when all of the sudden WHAM! I hit my head so hard I fell backwards into a pool of water about 6 inches deep. It hurt so bad I could see stars but I just started laughing really hard and I just sat there in the mud for several minutes laughing. That was the day I really knew I was having fun.

[yaduck9]

Interesting, but how do you explain the swarm of bees attacking a hiker? I don't claim to be an expert about the bees, but the "experts" who are on the news in Arizona from time to time say that the Africanized bees become upset by noise. Many of the attacks in southern Arizona are on people operating loud machines.

Other than the news report I linked above, the only time I know of a hiker being attacked was when a barking dog upset a hive.

I read several different accounts of this incident and none of them mentioned noises. The news reports gave no indication of why this particular hiker was attacked and other's weren't.

I was wondering the same thing. It is my understanding that if you swat a bee on your arm, a pheremone is released, signaling you as an aggressor and triggering a response, but I am not an expert, by any means.

[Pedaling Fool]

I was wondering the same thing. It is my understanding that if you swat a bee on your arm, a pheremone is released, signaling you as an aggressor and triggering a response, but I am not an expert, by any means.

I'm not an expert either, but I don't think just the act of swatting a bee with release those pheromones, unless you smash it, then maybe that will be enough to get them pheromones on you; and of course if you get stung, you're marked. I've had that happen a few times...

[Pedaling Fool]

...That same hike, I was looking at the ground when I ran into a 4" piece of deadfall laying across the trail right at forehead level. I fell back and landed on my a$$. I did learn a valuable lesson about looking up, LOL. It was a cursed hike.

Not to derail too much, but I'm glad that hiking in Arizona is good, I'll have to look into it more since I'm considering moving there. I refuse to move anywhere cold.

This same thing happened to me in the smokies...it was pouring down rain and I was cold and soaked to the bone...just focusing on getting to the shelter and looking down at my feet when all of the sudden WHAM! I hit my head so hard I fell backwards into a pool of water about 6 inches deep. It hurt so bad I could see stars but I just started laughing really hard and I just sat there in the mud for several minutes laughing. That was the day I really knew I was having fun.

Same thing happened to me in Maine. I was going uphill, directly into the rising sun, so I put on my cycling cap to keep the sun out of my eyes and I got into a very good rhythm when all of a sudden, Whack

I propelled my head directly into a downed pine tree and I went tumbling about 20 feet down the hill. Never got my stride back.

[Bronk]

I was wondering the same thing. It is my understanding that if you swat a bee on your arm, a pheremone is released, signaling you as an aggressor and triggering a response, but I am not an expert, by any means.

Like Peddling Fool said, you'd have to kill the bee or have it sting you...bees are definitely attracted to the site of a previous sting...if you get stung once the bees will try to sting you in the same place if they can. Both squishing a bee or being stung releases pheromones.

[CamelMan]

Glad I'm not the only one who's hit a tree with their head!