Bees Kill Dog, Sting Man, Daughter

A swarm of bees attacked a Whittier man and his daughter Wednesday, killed their dog and sent children at a nearby elementary school fleeing into their classrooms, authorities said.

The bees, which fire officials said may have been Africanized honeybees, flew into the 6000 block of Pickering Avenue about 1 p.m.

The man and his 12-year-old daughter were outside their home when they were each stung a few times. They suffered no serious injuries, but their Chihuahua was killed, officials said.

At Lincoln Elementary School, children were confined to their classrooms, officials said.

Neighbors said they believed the bees had a hive in the family’s attic or garage.

Eric Mussen of the Department of Entomology at UC Davis said genetic tests could determine if the bees were Africanized, but that Africanized insects are present in Southern California. “It’s not the first canine death,” he said. “It won’t be the last.”