[Dr_Jackal]

Never thought I'd see a bee attack on here. Gnarly!

[volleyballbat]

He was sitting outside of the market like a retard without batting his eyes. Darwin knows it was his time to go.

[houseoftechno]

Those bees were not attacking. They were just overly excited to get to the honey comb.

[spycosis]

Bees don't need to kill other animals, they do it purely for the buzz.

[William May]

Swarming bees (Bees that are searching for a new hive) typically don't attack. They are busy with the move, and protecting the Queen. So I wonder what set them off? Of course, these were probably Africanized bees, since I think ALL the bees in Central and South America are now Africanized bees.

[docfr8]

Have a smokeout and they will chill out

[WonderMomma]

Man, that has to be a horrible way to go.

I just found a huge collection of bees (yellow jackets, I think) outside in a cabinet we have out there. I opened the door and there was a huge glob of them on the door - many of them flew off before I took this picture. They have never gathered there before.

They seem to be worse this year. I think we have some nesting in different parts of our eaves/gutters. Going to have to get that checked when it gets cold.

[RedneckR0nin]

To be or not to BE that is the question

[WonderMomma]

Originally Posted by William May ↗

Swarming bees (Bees that are searching for a new hive) typically don't attack. They are busy with the move, and protecting the Queen. So I wonder what set them off? Of course, these were probably Africanized bees, since I think ALL the bees in Central and South America are now Africanized bees.

Tried to find updates on if they've been identified yet. They haven't but found this info:

The city’s official note does not identify the bees, only saying the swarm was likely “in migration.”
https://www.itapetininga.sp.gov.br/n...-itapetininga/

One local update explicitly says the exact species has not yet been identified.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DOyunYcErDG/

For context only, most swarm incidents in Brazil involve Africanized honey bees (hybrids of Apis mellifera scutellata with European lineages), which are common in São Paulo and are associated with a rising share of sting incidents. This is general background, not a determination about Itapetininga.
https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assun...es-por-abelhas

https://jornal.unesp.br/2025/08/11/c...ores-da-unesp/

Africanized honey bees in Brazil are known for being highly defensive and aggressive if disturbed. When they are migrating in a swarm, they are usually searching for a new nesting site. In this state, they are often less defensive than when guarding an established hive, but the risk is still high. If people or machinery get too close, the swarm can interpret it as a threat, and the bees may attack in large numbers.

In Brazil, swarms often stop temporarily in trees, on lamp posts, or against buildings while scout bees look for a permanent home. If disturbed during this rest phase, Africanized bees can respond violently. Their behavior differs from European honey bees in that they have a much lower threshold for perceiving danger, they mobilize more bees in an attack, and they will chase perceived threats over longer distances.

Because Africanized bees are now established across São Paulo state and most of Brazil, swarm encounters in populated areas are relatively common. Swarm periods caused by migration, nest division, or abandonment of a stressed hive increase the chance of contact with humans, which is why attacks like the one in Itapetininga occur.

[William May]

Originally Posted by WonderMomma ↗

Tried to find updates on if they've been identified yet. They haven't but found this info: