Three Horses Die After Bee Attack Near Comanche

COMANCHE, TX — Three horses died after being swarmed by aggressive bees just outside the City of Comanche on Friday, May 9, prompting a response from multiple emergency agencies and a warning from fire officials about heightened bee activity this spring.

According to the Comanche Volunteer Fire Department, dispatchers received a call reporting that bees were attacking horses on FM 590. The horses’ owners were stung multiple times while trying to move the animals to safety and were transported to the hospital by Comanche County EMS. A Comanche County Sheriff’s deputy also responded.

Firefighters from Comanche VFD, aided by another department that provided bee suits, used a brush truck to reach the animals. Firefighters and one of the horse owners, dressed in bee suits, sprayed the horses with soapy water in an attempt to stop the attack. Despite efforts to save them, the horses sustained hundreds of stings to their faces and bodies.

A veterinarian and a vet technician arrived to treat the animals, but all three horses later died due to venom and related organ failure, according to a post by the owners. The horses had been moved to a new area of the yard earlier that day, unknowingly near a hive hidden in a tree.

A local exterminator wearing a bee suit later located the hive. Fire officials believe the bees were likely Africanized honey bees, known for their highly defensive and aggressive behavior when a hive is disturbed.

“This time of year, bees are moving,” the fire department noted in a public advisory. “Rains have caused many wildflowers to bloom. The bees are active and will become more active as the weather warms.”

The VFD urged caution when working near trees, old buildings, brush piles, or other areas that may harbor bee colonies. They advised residents to avoid disturbing any hives and to contact professionals if a hive poses a threat to people, pets, or livestock.

The department responded to multiple bee-related calls each year, but only removes bees in cases of imminent danger. Officials stated that loud noises like lawnmowers or even movement nearby can trigger attacks.

The horses involved in Friday’s incident were described by their owners as rodeo stock and “family.”