Overview

• Local officials in Aurillac removed a rooftop apiary after a July 6 swarm wounded 24 people and hospitalized three in critical condition before they stabilized
• Authorities are weighing hive relocation or culling and have begun drafting urban beekeeping regulations to reduce the risk of future mass stings
• Investigators believe invasive Asian hornets may have disturbed the colony and triggered the defensive swarm
• U.S. health agencies issued safety warnings on July 7 after a swarm in Arizona killed one worker and seriously injured two others, emphasizing avoidance of hive disturbances
• Experts caution that bees only attack when threatened and stress balancing robust public safety measures with the insects’ essential role in pollination