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How do you escape a bee attack?

How do you escape a bee attack?

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - A few weeks ago here in our own parking lot at News 8, we discovered a hive and lots of bees. In light of this week's tragedy in Encinitas, we asked an expert what to do to survive a bee attack.

Mike Anthony with Anthony's Bee Removal Service is a professional, and even he was stung Thursday while removing an 80-pound hive from a Point Loma house.

"If you do get stung you want to scrape the stinger out and get it out right away. It will continue to pump poison into you even after the stinger leaves the bee," he said.

Mike says if you disturb a hive and get attacked by a swarm of bees, you need to run up to a quarter of a mile. Not only should you look for shelter, but try to cover your head and neck with a jacket or towel.

"Basically what I would do is keep a hat on, take a towel and cover yourself up all the way and start going -- run, run, run," Mike said.

Mike says don't jump into a swimming pool, because the bees will wait for you to come up for air. He also suggests checking with your doctor and getting a prescription for what's called an EpiPen. Mike says just in case he gets stung more than 15 times, the pen could save his life.

"It's pretty simple to use. You just pop it off, pull it out and there's a needle on the end of this and you just jam it right into your thigh, right through your clothes if need be. Basically it will keep you from going into anaphylactic shock," Mike said.

Mike has been in the bee removal business for many years, and he's a wealth of knowledge. When we asked him how Thursday's event in Encinitas could have been avoided, he said if you are clearing brush you need to carefully scout the area in advance. If you notice any bee activity, you need to be very cautious and call a professional.

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