An attack from tens of thousands of domesticated bees left three people from Tampa, Fla. with as many as 50 bee stings and a fourth with at least a dozen. The three men had to be brought to a local hospital around New Port Richey for treatment while the fourth person, a woman, recovered from the attack at her home.

Officials say that the men were trying to get honey from the hive, which may have prompted the bees to attack. It is speculated that the hive contains around 20,000 to 30,000 bees.

"At least one of the individuals was trying to scrape the side of the hive for some honey," said Doug Tobin, Pasco County spokesman.

The incident was responded to by Pasco Fire Rescue, which witnessed how the three men were being swarmed by the bees.

"They were covered in bees, their beards, their hair, their clothes ... bees were everywhere," said Tom Johnson, a neighbor.

Firefighters had to use a fire hose to try to get the bees off the victims. There were no reports of firefighters being injured or stung in the scene.  

"It took about 15 minutes of spraying before they could get them safe into the ambulance," said Alice Osteen, a neighbor.

It is said that the woman was attacked as she was walking outside her house.

None of the men's identity had been revealed. All are expected to survive the "stinging" attack.

As a result of the attack, authorities planned to have the beehives removed. An apiarist was called in to attempt to calm the bees by producing smoke. However, it was suggested that the bees should remain untouched at least for the next 24 hours.

The bee attack in Tampa, Fla. occurred only after a few weeks when a separate bee attack was recorded at a baseball game in Utah. The incident caused an 89-year-old man to be brought to the hospital after getting almost 400 bee stings. The attack had forced players and spectators to evacuate the place.

A person who is stung by a honey bee and feels nauseous, dizzy or has trouble breathing afterward, should immediately call 911. The swelling of an affected area can be reduced with ice. It is also important to remove any tight-fitting jewelry around the affected area.

For the pain, one can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The itchiness of a sting can be stopped by taking an antihistamine or by applying a mixture of baking soda and water.

Photo: Thangaraj Kumaravel I Flickr

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