3 hospitalized, dog dead after bees swarm California backyard

"I opened the door and the air is thick with bees," Tiffany Ahmu said.

The contents of this story may be disturbing.

LEMON GROVE, Calif. (KSWB/KUSI) — Three people were sent to the hospital and a dog is dead after a swarm of bees took over a California backyard Wednesday.

"I opened the door and the air is thick with bees. I looked at my right and my dog Kona is already on the floor, panting," Tiffany Ahmu of Lemon Grove recounted to Nexstar's KSWB/KUSI.

Ahmu described the scene that unfolded in her family’s backyard Wednesday afternoon. She said her kids and family friends were in the pool when the swarm of bees arrived.

As everyone tried to run inside to safety, Ahmu went to rescue their beloved family dog.

"Kona is covered. I couldn’t even see her coat. I pick her up. She’s already limp. She’s still breathing, but limp. I jump to the pool to dust the bees off and I'm covered in bees."

In the process, Ahmu said she was overwhelmed by bees and stung several times herself. She spoke with KSWB/KUSI over the phone Wednesday evening from the hospital, shortly before being discharged.

"I was calling 911 the whole time and they kept repeating themselves. 'We don’t come for a bee sting ma’am, call an exterminator' and I’m telling them I'm not exaggerating. There are not one or two bees. I am in a blanket of bees. I need help, my skin is burning."

Two other kids were stung about two to three times and taken to the hospital as well, but were quickly released. The other family dog was stung once.

Ahmu’s father, Jose Hernandez, came home and immediately helped take Kona, the 12-year-old boxer, to an animal urgent care, but the dog ultimately died.

Kona was a rescue and a registered emotional support dog who Ahmu described as having "Peter Pan Syndrome" and still being as playful as a puppy.

"She was so spunky, still super active and hyper," Ahmu said.

Heartland Fire and Rescue responded to try to clear the bees from the area, but no one knows where they came from.

"This is just something freaky. I guess nobody knows what to do until it happens to you," Hernandez said.

While it's unclear what species of bee swarmed the backyard, honey bees are known to swarm when looking to set up a new hive, according to Michigan State University Extension’s Department of Entomology. Before settling on its final destination, the swarm will gather close to the hive and can stay in that location for “a couple hours to several days.”

The swarm will eventually leave after scout bees have decided on a permanent home for the hive.

While experts say bees are most docile when swarming, such swarms have been known to delay flights and MLB games, and occasionally cause injuries.

In 2023, a massive swarm of bees in an Encino neighborhood closed multiple roads and sent at least one person to the hospital. Two years earlier, two people at a Southern California mall had to be taken to the hospital after being attacked by a bee swarm.

As Nexstar's KXAN reports, experts warn against approaching a swarm of bees. It's also advised to avoid trying to hide in a body of water: According to Texas A&M AgriLife professionals, bees can hover above the surface to attack an animal or person once they emerge.

If caught in a swarm and stung, experts recommend removing the stingers and seeking medical treatment.