Africanized Honey bee stinging incidents

1. Africanized Honey beestinging incidents

2. Terminal Performance Objective • TPO1 - TPO1 - At the completion of this lesson the student shall be able to perform the necessary steps to safely rescue a victim from a stinging incident with 70% accuracy.

3. Enabling Objectives • EO1 – The student shall learn the basics of honey bee biology with 70% accuracy. • EO2 – The student shall describe the cast found in a honey bee colony with 70% accuracy. • EO3 – The student shall identify the methods honey bees use to communicate with 70% accuracy. • EO4 – The student shall be able to name the various triggers which can disturb a honey bee colony with 70% accuracy.

4. Enabling Objectives • EO6 – The student shall discuss the role of the fire service at a stinging incident with 70% accuracy. • EO7 – The student shall describe the uses and limitations of protective equipment with 100% accuracy. • EO8 – The student shall be able to don protective equipment with 100% accuracy. (skill set)

5. Honey Bee BiologySection I

6. Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) • Colony • Eusocial • Cavity Dwellers • Produce Surplus Honey

7. Africanized Honey Bee(Apis Mellifera Scutellata) • Brought to S. America in 1956 • Bread with E. Honey Bee • 12 escaped in 1957

8. Importance of Honey Bees • Pollination • $15 billion in added crop value • Beekeeping Industry • GA produces $7 million in honey • ND produces $47 m • Beekeeper • 6,000 +/- Beekeepers in GA

9. Cast • Honey bees have 3 cast • Queen • Worker • Drone

10. Queen • Lays eggs • Emits pheromones • Normally only one

11. Worker • Work • 95-99% of the colony

12. Drone • Mates with queen • 0-5% colony

13. Communicate • Dance • Pheromones

14. Communicate • Pheromones • Alarm • Brood Recognition • Drone • Egg Marking • Footprint • Forager • Nasonov • Queen Mandibular • Queen Retinue

15. Colonies and Swarms • Colony • A population of honey bees within an established hive. • Swarm • a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a colony in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere.

16. Swarm

17. Colony

18. Defensive Behavior • Defend hive • Defend themselves

19. Defensive Triggers • Vibrations (sounds) • Fast movements • Dark colors • Carbon monoxide • Alarm Pheromones

20. At Risk Groups • Outdoor workers • Landscapers • Surveyors • Utility workers • Equipment operators* • Military during training • Sports enthusiasts • Rescue personnel

21. People At Most Risk • Small Children • Elderly • Handicapped

22. At Risk Animals • Animals at risk • Tethered • Penned, caged, or corralled. • Horses and goats don’t mix with bees.

23. Conclusion/Questions

24. Section IIAfricanized Honey Bees in Georgia

25. AHB in Georgia • DiscoveredOctober 21, 2010 • Near Albany, GA • 73 year old male • Working on bulldozer • Colony in a old porch column

29. AHB in Georgia • 2 more colonies have been identified in the Albany area. • More trapping and testing will continue in the spring

30. How did they arrive?

31. GA Beekeeping Regulations • GA Regulations • Restrictions on Beekeeping • Quarantine • Keeping Africanized Honey Bees

32. Section IIIAfricanized Honey BeeStinging Incidents

33. Role of the Emergency Services • Rescue • Medical treatment • Be observant • Educate

34. Personal Protective Equipment • Bee Veil • Bee Suit / Turnout gear • Gloves • Boot Bands/Duct Tape • NO DARK COLORS • NO PATCHES • NO SPLASH SUITS

35. Deployment • One engine company (4 personnel) • Incident Commander (IC) • Pump operator • Two person attack/rescue team. • One ALS Med Unit (2 personnel) • Additional Resources

36. Dispatch • If available, turn on the air conditioning. • Roll up all windows. • Have Medic ride/arrive on scene in back of med unit. • Have PPE on prior to arriving or exiting the vehicle.

37. Arrival/Staging • Approach tactics can not be used to minimize exposure • AHB will “hunt” out invaders.

38. On-Scene • Work scene like a haz-mat incident • Turn off lights and sirens. • Locate victims.

39. On-Scene • Establish 800 ft. perimeter. • Minimize apparatus commitment. • Level II staging out side of “Warm” zone. • Stage apparatus 150-200 ft. from victims. • Stage Med Unit 300-400 ft. behind Patient.

40. 800 ft. IC 150/200’ 300/400’ HOT WARM

41. Victim Rescue/Approach • Use 150-200 ft. 1½ or 1¾ attack line. • Pump AFFF at 6% mix ratio. • Advance toward victim. • Sweeping the air (if needed). • Cover fire fighters and victim with foam.

42. 150-200 ft. Pump at pressure and volume recommended by the manufacture in relation to the length of hose used. 6% foam

43. Victim Rescue/Retreat • Sweep bees off patient’s face. • Place patient on stretcher. • Use towel/sheet to protect patient’s face. • Continue to spray foam while retreating.

44. Reevaluate if area is far enough away to begin patient treatment. 300 to 400 ft. from original position

45. Patient Care • First priority patient’s Airway! • Honey Bees target • Dark Colors/Areas • Carbon Monoxide • After stinging bee will not die immediately.

46. Patient Care • Main reactions • Airway obstructions • Bronchospasms • Cardio-genic shock • Neurogenic shock • Cardiac arrest *

47. Patient Care • Follow local medical directives • Remove stingers (scrape) • Monitor all vitals

48. Mop Up • Remove apparatus from hot/warm zone. • Maintain perimeter. • May take up to 24 hours for bees to calm down. • Call in an exterminator or professional bee remover.

49. Summary • Honey bee biology – Honey bees are complex insects that live in eusocial colonies. • 3 cast in a honey bee colony – There are 3 cast in a honey bee colony. Queen, Worker, Drone. • Honey bee communication – Honey bees can communicate through dancing and pheromones. • Defensive triggers – Include vibrations, dark colors, fast movement, carbon monoxide, and alarm pheromones.

50. Summary • Role of the fire service at a stinging incident • Uses and limitations of protective equipment • Don protective equipment • Steps to safely rescue a victim from a stinging incident