Bee's attacked our chickens today with dozens of stings each. Help!

[VistaChicks]

We've had a wild bee hive on our property for years now but today (Sunday) we had a bizarre incident where the bee's attacked our chickens and anything else out there. We had to watch and cry from inside the safety of the house, as they came after us when we stepped outside. It was horrible. Finally now at dusk with the bee's back inside their hive, we've gone outside to see the damage. Several of our hens and our turkey have multiple (20+) stingers in their faces. One hen was dead. The ones with lots of stingers are alive but lethargic, shaky and can barely move. We put them into their coop from their run to keep them warm, and provided fresh water and food. But don't know what else to do.

Our big question is "do we remove/pull out the stingers or leave them alone"? I don't want them to get infected by leaving them in. .. Also what else can we do for them to help them recover? If anything?
I'm calling a bee removal service first thing in the morning and am just praying that our hens survive this ordeal. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks so much,

Beth & Mark

 

[welasharon]

www. theshugars.com/2009/06/bee-stung-chicken-lips.html
I just found this maybe it will help
sharon
take the space out after the www.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Oh no!

I'm so sorry for your chickens, but thank The Lord above that it wasn't YOU or children or or omg...

I've always heard that you should remove bee stingers with a credit card. Just use the flat side and scrape it over the stinger. I don't know if this would work on a chicken's face, but even if you have to use a corner, it might work..or even a matchbook might work considering the scale down.

Your poor chickens!

 

[wildeflowers]

That is crazy. I can only imagine how awful you must have felt watching that.

Are you sure they are bees and not hornets? Or possible africanized bees? You don't say where you live so if you're in a warm climate, I would suspect some aggressive breed. No normal bees would attack anything in the yard like that or prevent you from leaving the house.

I would definitely remove the stingers. It won't harm them to remove them and it certainly could help.

 

[bantiebabe1200]

All I can recommend is doing your best to remove the stingers with a credit card or something similar as long as it's not stressing them out too much. Then maybe call a vet in the morning to see if there's anything they would suggest other wise.

I'm so sorry about your birds. You'll be in my thoughts.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

I have never had, nor know anyone that has had an inncident like that occur. I would think removing the stingers would be best, since I know we remove from humans that get stung. If you do remove them, I would put neosporin (NOT the one with pain killer) on the wounds to help prevent infection.

Since you said the chickens are lethargic and shaken, I would definately add some poly vi sol - (I think that is how you spell it, it is just infant vitamins) to their water to help perk them up.

 

[kcfuerst]

Wow, I never knew a bee would sting a chicken. If the bees attacked for no reason, it could be that you have an Africanized colony on your hands. Plain honeybees aren't that aggressive. You might call a beekeeper and discuss euthanizing the hive that caused such destruction. You can do this yourself by going out after dark when the hive is asleep and put a giant black plastic trash bag over the hive and then remove it from its location. You could dispose of it in the trash where by the next afternoon they will all most likely be dead.

Sorry you lost some chicks, but glad you are OK.

Oh, I forgot to mention, that to remove a stinger before it does damage, you must do it immediately. A bee's stinger has a sac on the end of it that keep pumping venom into the victim after the bee has taken off to die. If you rub the stinger the wrong direction, you may actually help pump more venom into the victim instead of removing the stinger. Take care.

 

[clio]

Quote:
I agree, that honeybees usually are not that aggressive ... yellow jackets, Africanized bees, wasps and hornets could be the ones ...

If they are honeybees, a beekeeper could take the hive away for you.

If you can get to the hive at night, as someone suggested, and put it in a plastic bag, be sure you SEAL the bag completely before putting it in the trash (not a public trash where some one might be looking for recycled cans/bottles and would open the bag)

Keep us posted ....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I believe you can give them benedryl to counter the venom. I have no idea of the dose. I suggest posting the question in the emergency section.

 

[arherp]

The longer the stinger is in the animal, the more venom that is pumped in to them.