After the Endemic, 'Bee Stings' Surge... "Be Sure to Call 119"

Bee (Hive) Removal 119 Dispatches Nearly 200,000 Cases Annually
August-September Most Dangerous Due to Increased Bee Activity
"Evacuate at Least 20m from Hive and Be Sure to Report"

Last month in Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk, six firefighters were stung by bees and transported to the hospital over two days. They were searching around a river area to find two residents missing due to heavy rain. Considering that they combed through the grass more thoroughly than usual to find the missing persons, the bee activity was so intense that several expert firefighters were hospitalized.

As the COVID-19 endemic progresses, bee sting incidents are also rapidly increasing. This is because outdoor activities, which were restrained during the COVID-19 period, are returning to normal. Especially in August and September, when the most bee sting incidents occur every year, the National Fire Agency has urged the public to be cautious.

According to related departments on the 3rd, the National Fire Agency issued a bee sting accident 'advisory' at 9 a.m. on the 31st of last month. The agency operates a 'bee sting accident forecast system' every year. Based on statistics from the past three years, if the risk index exceeds 50, an advisory is issued, and if it exceeds 80, a warning is issued.

The reason the National Fire Agency emphasizes caution regarding bee sting accidents is that related incidents have significantly increased since entering the COVID-19 endemic phase. According to the '2022 Fire Yearbook' recently published by the agency, 119 safety dispatches for bee and beehive removal recorded 172,055 cases in 2019, dropped sharply to 136,438 cases in 2020 during the height of COVID-19, but surged to 200,310 cases in 2021 and recorded 193,986 cases last year.

Deaths caused by bee stings also decreased from 9 in 2019 to 7 in 2020, then rose to 11 in both 2021 and last year. This year, 3 people have already died.

An official from the National Fire Agency said, "During the COVID-19 period, outdoor activities decreased, so bee sting incidents also decreased. However, after entering the endemic phase, outdoor activities have become active again, and related incidents have increased accordingly."

Bee sting accidents account for the largest portion of 119 rescue cases. Looking at the number of 119 rescue cases by accident type last year, out of a total of 640,099 cases, 'bee (hive) removal' rescue cases were the highest at 106,287. This means 16.6% of all 119 rescue cases in a year are related to bees. This figure far exceeds the 87,860 fire-related and 50,300 traffic-related rescue cases during the same period.

The National Fire Agency advises that bees show greater aggression toward dark-colored clothing and strong perfumes or scented cosmetics, so it is better to wear bright-colored clothes and wide-brimmed hats during outdoor activities and avoid strong perfumes or scented cosmetics.

Especially if you come into contact with a beehive, you should cover your head and quickly escape to a place more than 20 meters away. Kim Hak-geun, head of the Fire Agency’s Rescue Division, said, "If you are more than 20 meters away, bee attacks decrease. The head is the most important part of the body and black, which is the most attractive color to bees, so you should cover it and quickly move away from the beehive."

He also emphasized that 79% of deaths from bee stings occur within one hour after being stung, highlighting the importance of quick 119 reporting. Kim said, "The most frightening thing about highly aggressive hornets is 'anaphylactic shock.' Allergic reactions to bee venom vary from person to person, and it is impossible to know who will have a shock reaction, so if stung by a bee, you should report to 119 as soon as possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.