Pittsfield Firefighter Talks about Beekeeper Rescue

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - We all love fresh honey, but no one wants to be stung. A Pittsfield Township beekeeper is now recovering after bees attacked her in defense of their queen.

"Person in distress. They told us had something to do with bees," said Pittsfield Township Fire Captain Jeff Foulke.

A day later at the Pittsfield Township home and you'd never know a swarm attacked the beekeeper who lives there, stinging her repeatedly. Pittsfield Township Fire showed us photos taken at the scene.

"In 14 years on this job, this is the second that I'd call an attack," Foulke said.

The solution? Make it rain.

"Inch and three quarter hose line, fog nozzle, about 60 psi, 700 gallons of water," said Foulke.

Not even 24 hours later, the bees are back in their hive and the beekeeper
unavailable for an interview, but she's going to be okay.

"We asked her if she'd been stung and she said, 'Yeah. Maybe 20, 30, 50 times.' By looking at her ankles, it was probably easily 50 times," Foulke said.

If you wonder what a swarm feels like, the captain says "a hailstorm".

"You could feel the bees through your helmet, your mask, through your turnout gear as they pounded into you," said Foulke.