Killer Bees Attack in Arizona; Where Else Can it Happen?

Thousands of killer bees attacked animals and farmers in Arizona on Thursday, prompting warnings from experts on what to do when confronted with the little buzzers.

The attack happened on the animal farm belonging to Jane Hewitt in Bisbee, Tucson's KOLD-TV reported. The bees killed a 1,000 pound hog.

I jumped into a car but the passenger side window was down, and they came in a black cloud towards me, Hewitt said, KOLD-TV reported. I tried to swat at them and get them out the driver's side window.

Killer bees are the colloquial term for Africanized bees, which came to the U.S. from South America.

They are found in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). They are known to defend their colonies and attack when threatened, the NPMA said on their Web site.

The hive in this particular attack weighed approximately 200 pounds and had more than 250,000 bees, according to bee expert Reed Booth.

KOLD-TV spoke with Booth, also known as The Bee Killer, who said he has done Africanized bee eradications for the sheriff and fire departments, as well as border patrol.

They're much ornier this year for some reason, Booth said, KOLD-TV reported. This is the worst I've seen in ten years.

The NPMA suggests running in a zig zag pattern when being pursued and seeking shelter.

If an infestation is discovered, the NPMA urges calling a pest control professional or a beekeeper.