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Bee Stings and Your Pets and Livestock

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Bee Stings and Your Pets and Livestock TREATING YOUR ANIMAL LOOK FOR STINGERS once the animal is away from bees. When a honey bee stings, it loses its venom sac and stinger. This means the honey bee dies after it stings, but the stinger may continue to in- ject venom for up to a minute or until the stinger is removed. If you can see stingers on the animal, remove then by scraping them out with a credit card, knife or finger- nail. Do not pull them out with tweezers or BEE STINGS AND fingers because you will squeeze more venom into the sting. YOUR PETS AND IF AN ANIMAL HAS SUSTAINED NU- LIVESTOCK MEROUS STINGS, EMERGENCY TREATMENT BY YOUR VETERINARIAN MAY BE REQUIRED. The number of stings an animal can survive depends on its body weight, the amount of venom it received and whether or not it is allergic to bee venom. As with humans, even one sting may be dangerous if the animal is allergic. Georgia Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Division Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Atlanta: 404-651-9486 Tifton: 229-386-3464 Africanized honey bees (AHB), some- Protecting Animals KEEP DOGS UNDER CONTROL times called “killer bees,” became es- WHEN HIKING. A dog bounding tablished in Texas in 1990 and are MAKE A REGULAR INSPECTION OF YOUR PROPERTY FOR BEE NESTS. through the brush is more likely to dis- spreading to other states including turb bees than one following quietly at Georgia. Honey bees nest in a wide variety of sites, such as trees or shrubs, animal your heels. The Africanized honey bee is related to burrows in the ground, water meter our state’s familiar honey bee, the Eu- boxes and overturned flower pots. IF YOUR ANIMAL IS ropean honey bee. The two types of Look for active bees and listen for a STUNG bees look the same and their behavior buzzing or humming sound. is similar in many respects. Each bee REACT IMMEDIATELY! Without en- can sting only once, and there is no dif- DO NOT PEN, TIE OR TETHER ANI- dangering yourself, try to get the ani- ference between Africanized honey MALS NEAR BEE NESTS. Keep ani- mal away from the bees. Call your dog bee venom and that from a European mals away from bee nests and even inside your house or car or release the honey bee. Africanized honey bees, beehives. Bees may seem docile at animal if it will not harm itself or oth- however, are less predictable and more first, but do not take chances. ers nearby. defensive than European honey bees. They are more likely to defend a great- DO NOT DISTURB OR TEASE BEES DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH er area around their nest and respond AND DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE A PERSON OR AN ANIMAL BEING faster and in greater numbers than Eu- THEM YOURSELF. Do not shoot at, STUNG WITHOUT SOME SORT OF ropean honey bees. throw rocks at, pour gasoline on, or use PROTECTION (such as a beekeeper’s aerosol pesticides on bee nests, since suit or from inside a car), because the In other words, you and your pets and this will only arouse the bees. bees may attack you as well. If you livestock are more likely to get stung approach an animal that is being stung, around Africanized honey bees than KEEP PETS AND CHILDREN IN- remember that an injured animal may European ones, but learning about DOORS WHEN USING WEEDEAT- bite or attack unexpectedly. If you re- AHB and taking certain precautions ERS, HEDGE CLIPPERS, TRAC- lease penned livestock, be aware that can lower the risk of being stung for TORS, POWER MOWERS, CHAIN an unrestrained animal may run into you and your animals. SAWS OR OTHER MOTORIZED the road and be hit by a car or may run EQUIPMENT. Honey bees are sensi- away. In addition, if the animal runs to When bees defend their colonies, they tive to unusual odors, such as cut you with aroused bees following it, you target dark-colored objects that resem- grass, and to loud vibrations. Attacks are likely to be stung, too. ble their natural enemies, such as frequently occur when a person is bears and skunks. Your dog’s fur, for mowing the lawn or pruning shrubs and example, is not going to protect it from trees and inadvertently strikes a bee or being stung. Your pet’s size will not of- wasp nest. fer protection, either. Animals that are penned up or tied near AHB nests are STAY ALERT WHEN HORSEBACK RIDING through brush or under low- at an even higher risk of being stung. Tommy Irvin hanging branches where bees might nest. Commissioner .
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