Recently, in Arizona, a swarm of bees killed a golf course groundskeeper in a freak incident. According to reports, 57-year-old Rick Messina, who worked at El Conquistador Golf & Tennis, died after the swarm near the eighth hole of the Pusch Ridge Golf Course attacked him. Efforts to provide emergency medical care to Messina were unsuccessful, as he succumbed to the bee stings three days after the incident.
As a member of the agronomy team at the course, he was mowing the rough when the incident occurred. Messina was quickly transported to a local hospital. In light of the attack, professional beekeepers were contacted to determine if there was a hive in the area. However, since no hives were located, it is believed the swarm was just passing through the area when it attacked Messina.
“Rick was a dedicated and cherished member of our team, known for his exceptional work ethic, positive attitude, and unwavering commitment to his duties,” the club’s management team said in a statement, according to a report from CBS News. “His sudden passing is a profound loss to our work family and our community. He will be deeply missed by all.”
The general manager of El Conquistador Golf, Darryl Janisse, sent an email to the golf club’s members, informing them of the tragic incident. “It is with a heavy heart that I am emailing our membership with a tragic incident that took place at Pusch Ridge involving one of our work associates and a swarm of bees,” Janisse said. He explained to members that all 45 holes on the club’s courses had been examined for possible bee activity.
According to experts, summer is typically the “peak season for bee swarms,” where members of El Conquistador were advised to be alert in the coming months. Statistics from the CDC state, “During 2011–2021, a total of 788 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings occurred (an average of 72 deaths per year). The annual number of deaths ranged from 59 (2012) to 89 (2017). Overall, 84% of deaths occurred among males.”
Arizona contains a number of native bee species, where the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center warned about the dangers of encountering bee colonies, instructing people not to provoke the insects. “Do not shoot, throw rocks at, try to burn or otherwise disturb the bees. Do not attempt to control them with aerosol sprays. If the colony is near a trail or near areas frequently used by humans, notify your local Forest Service, Game and Fish Department or Parks and Recreation Department,” the research center said.
The Bee researchers vehemently maintained that civilians should not ever try to interact with bees. “Honey bee colonies vary in behavior over time, especially with changes in age and season. You may pass the same colony for weeks, and then one day provoke them unexpectedly. Don’t EVER disturb or tease bees, and do not try to remove bees yourself.”
"*" indicates required fields
Furthermore, the University of Arizona also issued a warning about swarms, offering advice on what to do when encountering them. “It is best to leave swarms alone if they are in a spot that does not have much human traffic passing close by, e.g., a swarm on a wall that can be cordoned off using caution tape. But if a swarm is in the way of people in a location that cannot be avoided, seek the help of an experienced professional to remove swarms. If swarms are disturbed, they will disperse within a local area and this can cause people to panic,” they said.
Featured image credit: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bee_swarm_in_Plymouth_(closeup).jpg