Agricultural Research Service.
A swarm of killer bees has killed one dog and badly injured another in Covina, it was reported Wednesday.
Heather Umphenour and her family returned home Sunday night to find their two German Shepherd-mixed rescue dogs in the backyard covered with bee stings and surrounded by hundreds of dead bees, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported. One dog, Luna, died from her injuries, while her brother, Wolf, is still receiving veterinary care.
“My children are crying themselves to sleep and for this to happen to somebody’s child, it would be horrible,” Umphenour told the newspaper. “I want people to be informed that they’re in the area and that you have to look out.”
Most wild honeybees in the San Gabriel Valley, hybrids of European and African strains, are commonly known as “killer bees,” according to the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. Killer bees aggressively protect their hive and swarm en masse.
Wolf, who remains at the Inland Valley Emergency Pet Clinic, was stung primarily on his face. His swollen eyes blocked his sight until Tuesday, pet clinic Medical Director Jeff Patlogar told the newspaper.
— City News Service