14 DAY TRIAL // Two park workers from Tampa have been stung after uncovering a wild bee hive in Picnic Island Park.
David Zeledon and Rodney Pugh came across the colony in an old truck tire, as they were cleaning up trash in the park.
ABC Action News notes that approximately 100,000 Africanized honeybees were under the tire. The workers each incurred some 100 stings.
"This pile of rubbish wasn't moved for three years. So this colony's been breeding and sending out colonies. [...] The problem that we're having is the wild bees," exterminator Jonathan Simkins explains.
After being called in to remove the hive, he noticed they originated from Africa or South America, suggesting that they reached Tampa by ship from one of these locations.
A wild bee attack can potentially be lethal, as disturbing the hive of the aggressive bee species will result in dozens of stings.
He believes that many other colonies exist in Tampa Bay area, due to its proximity to Port Tampa.
"The European bee will swarm once or twice a year. The African bee will swarm up to 17 times," Simkins notes.
41-year-old Pugh describes trying to run away from the insects, as did Zeledon, but failing and being caught up to.
"It was like a thousand little knives poking me in my body. [...] It was like bees all in the cab. So I'm trying to swat, and they say never to swat bees," he says.
"My ears were just throbbing with pain. […] It's the worst feeling, because you just had so many and they wouldn't stop," he adds.
The two men have been hospitalized and are currently recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. They have been administered antibiotics and swelling reducing medication, and have been kept under observation.