Yellow jackets attack three kids

What Las Vegas Fire Department officials originally thought was an attack by Africanized honey bees, or killer bees, on Sunday night turned out to be yellow jackets.

That is small solace for three children who were each stung numerous times at their home at 1905 Bonita Ave. just off of St. Louis Avenue, south of Maryland Parkway.

The children -- a 4-year-old boy, a 2-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy -- were taken to the Sunrise Children's Hospital.

The 4-year-old was stung between 40 and 50 times, according to Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski. The 4-year-old was kept at Sunrise overnight for observation, and the other two children, who were stung about 10 times each, were treated and released.

"They were all in the living room crying when paramedics arrived," Szymanski said. "They were stung around the head and face."

Kefty Eaton, a bee expert from Rodeo Pest Wranglers, said that yellow jackets are similar to the Africanized honey bee in some ways.

"They have similar personalities in that they'll come after you if antagonized," Eaton said. "The difference is that the Africanized honey bees are a little more likely to come after you, and the yellow jackets can sting more than once."

Szymanski said that all of the Las Vegas engine crews have undergone training in how to deal with Africanized honey bees.

The bees, which can be riled up by bright lights or loud noises, are usually taken out with a foam compound that smothers them, Szymanski said.

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