Redondo Beach Man Stung 400 Times by Bees, Survives

A man was stung more than 400 times by a swarm of angry bees in Redondo Beach, Calif., local authorities report.

The man, 95, was walking near his home on Wednesday afternoon when the attack occurred.

He literally got stung by thousands of bees . . . most men would have died, but he's taking it in stride, Sgt. Phil Keenan of the Redondo Beach Police Department told the L.A. Times.

The bees were most likely Africanized honey bees, known as killer bees, according to Keenan.

The man, whose name has not been released by authorities, was admitted to a local hospital following the bee sting and released shortly after.

Redondo Beach Police suspect that the attack occurred as the result of a swarm of bees becoming agitated by a private fumigator that was exterminating the hive at a nearby apartment building.

The bees also attacked emergency responders, who showed up in protective gear. No further injuries were reported.

It is estimated than more than 100 Americans die each year from bee or insect-related stings.

About Africanized honey bees:

Africanized honey bees are the resulting breed between European bees and bees from Africa.

They are also known as killer bees for their aggressive behavior.

Worker bees have a life of about 30 days, while drones last five to 10 weeks. The Africanized honey queen bee can live for one to three years.

Most of the Africanized honey bee population is in California, with smaller populations in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.

Africanized bees defend their colonies more aggressively than European bees.

When one bee stings, a swarm may follow.

More information on Africanized honey bees is available on the University of California Riverside Web site.