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Swarm of Bees Attack Couple, Kill Two Mini Horses

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Jul 29, 2013 01:58 PM EDT

Bees are often stereotyped as one of the more scary insects being relatively large and loud. Their bites also pack quite a punch, leaving behind a red, swollen and very itchy mark. Although bees are viewed in this light, experts have stated that bees are generally harmless when left alone with the exception of some species of bees. Even if that is true, a swarm of bees last week surely did not help ease people's minds as they attacked a couple and killed the couple's two miniature horses.

According to officials, around 30,000 bees attacked 44-year-old Kristen Beauregard and her boyfriend while she was in the backyard of her home in Millar Lane by the Dallas-Fort Worth city region of Texas. The bees are suspected to be Africanized bees, which are also known as killer bees. This type of bee is known to be more aggressive. The swarm ended up killing Beauregard's two miniature horses, Trump and Chip who were exercising.

"They were chasing us down, they were following us," she said to Star-Telegram. "It was like a bad movie."

Beauregard had noticed the bees flying within her vicinity before but did not think they were a threat. Before she knew it, the bees started attacking and left her with 200 bite marks. Her boyfriend suffered 50 bites. The couple was able to stop the stings after jumping into a pool. Despite being in the pool, every time the couple stood up for air, the bees returned. The couple eventually made it back inside the house and survived the attack. The horror was over.

After calling 911, the couple saw firefighters at the scene. They used foam to get rid of the bees and cleared up the backyard. Chip ended up dying shortly after the attack ended and Trump died a few days later in a veterinary clinic where he was treated.

"He had so much swelling in his face, he must have kept his face above water to breathe. That's where all the bee stings concentrated," the equine veterinarian, Patricia Tersteeg said according to IBT Times. "He was so overwhelmed by bites that his body could not handle it. That's way too much for any 250 pound mammal to survive."

According to officials, the beehive was located near Beauregard's back yard. It was three feet wide and five feet tall. Although the beehive did not appear to be tampered with, this type of bee has been known for being somewhat aggressive. Experts are now studying a sample of the bees to make a clear identification of the species and to hopefully uncover the reason behind the horrid attack. 

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