PHOENIX - A swarm of "killer" bees attacked a man and his father as they repaired a roof in a small town in southeast Arizona, killing one man and hospitalizing the other, police said on Monday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cochise County Sheriff's Department said the Africanized honey bees stung Charlie Pasley, 39, more than 300 times as he carried out repairs to a home in Huachuca City, 160 miles (250 km) southeast of Phoenix on Sunday. He died at the scene.

Spokeswoman Carol Capas said the swarm also attacked Pasley's father, Chuck, 62, who was reported to be in a stable condition in hospital late on Sunday.

The insects, commonly known as "killer" bees for their highly aggressive behavior, are descended from a ferocious strain that was first introduced to the Americas from Africa in the 1950s in the hope that they would produce more honey.

The bees absconded from research hives in Brazil, slowly spreading through South and Central America. They first crossed into Texas from Mexico in 1990, since when they have attacked and killed dozens of people.

Researchers say the bees developed their highly defensive behavior and furious work rate to deal with voracious predators and short growing seasons in drought-prone areas of Africa.

That's horrible.

I have friends who live in Huachuca City!!! I also have a friend who is a contractor, I hope this wasn't one of his guys, oh how sad how sad for the family. I remember seeing swarms of bees in that area when I lived there, we had to report them so they could be captured.

AZ's a spoooooky place hehehe, nah not really its beautiful here, just you have to be careful yanno? some people dont get that its still desert regardless of whats built on it. and there's desert creatures still runnin about round here.

Finess said:

That's awful. Poor guy. I've been strung by ONE bee (when I was younger) and it was painful...I can only imagine what it's like to be stung by a swarm...