One of the most common misconceptions about honeybees in San Diego is that they are exactly the same as honeybees used in an agricultural setting. The truth is that honeybees used on a farm or in an agricultural setting are quite different in temperament. That is because these “livestock” honeybees are bred to be docile so that farmers can easily maneuver and transfer them from box to box. These honeybees that are used industrially to pollinate crops are specifically bred (often in a lab) to be easy to work with.
The wild, feral bees (often referred to as “Africanized Bees”) found all over San Diego County however, are often much different in temperament. These wild bees often display aggressive characteristics and can at times be very dangerous. According to the County of San Diego, these wild Africanized honeybees are presen,t all the way from the coast to the desert regions. They advise all San Diegans to use caution when encountering wild honeybees, and avoid them if possible.
Unfortunately there are times where wild bees can be triggered without any provocation. Sadly there have been many news stories about local bee attacks over the years. This year there was a grandmother who was attacked by bees in a residential neighborhood in Santee, CA. In this news story from channel 10 news, the owner of our company, Jeff Lutz was interviewed about the event. The news reporter asked him what his thoughts were regarding the incident. Jeff replied that the woman would likely not have survived, without the help of the two plumbers who happened to pass by.
To add more context to the story, check out the video below. It is about the same incident and aired on CBS on July 24th, 2025. It shows the two plumbers from Happy Plumbing coming to the rescue of the elderly grandmother. It also shows how one plumber bravely ran to the woman and caught her before her head hit the ground. After that, he tried to remove her away from the bees, while the other plumber grabbed a fire extinguisher to help suppress the attack. Without the actions of these two San Diego heroes, that grandmother would have likely died.
In this day and age of social media there are a lot of “bee influencers” who play around with bees. Sometimes they will put them all over their body or make “bee beards”. These influencers often give off the wrong impression that all honeybees are harmless. But what they fail to articulate is that the bees they are using for “likes’ and “clicks” are likely lab grown and bred to be genetically docile. This particular incident however, is a sober reminder of how dangerous wild bees can be.
