A 67-year-old woman was attacked by a swarm of bees at Froberg Vegetable and Fruit Farm Sunday afternoon.

VIDEO

See Police Save Woman's Life

A BEE'S LIFE

The yougest workers clean the hive.

After 3 days they are promoted to feeding the larvae.

After 10 days their job is to build the comb.

After 16 days they start filling the comb with pollen and nectar.

After 20 days they guard the entrance of the hive.

Finally they leave the hive to gather nectar.

Bees live from a few weeks to a few months depending on the season.

The victim, Joann Froberg, was transported to Southeast Memorial Hospital with more than 500 bee stings. Doctors said it's a miracle that she survived because the amount of venom in her body was the equivalent of being bitten by two rattlesnakes. Froberg made a desperate call to 911 as the bees began to attack her. "They have been biting me a long time," Froberg told the 911 operator. "Are you allergic?" the operator asked. "I don't know," Froberg answered. "I have never been stung this many times. They are all over me." Alvin police officers who were called to the scene had to use fire extinguishers to fight off the bees. Froberg's son, Alfred Froberg, said that her family is proud of the way she handled the situation. "Everybody is proud for the way she took care of herself," Alfred Froberg said. "Everybody loves her." Alfred Froberg said that the bees live on the farm and are used to pollinate fruits and vegetables. He said that the bees are still riled up and that he is amazed at his mother's calm attitude and ability to get help. "I don't understand," Alfred Froberg said. "If it had been me, I would have been swatting. She remained calm and everything." Froberg is in guarded condition in the intensive care unit. Police aren't sure why the bees became agitated, but they aren't ruling out the possibility that Africanized honey bees infilitrated the hive.

Taking The Sting Out Of Bee Stings

Remove Stinger You must properly remove a honey bee's stinger and venom sac from your skin promptly. The best way to remove the stinger and sac is to use the back of your thumbnail or a credit card or a dull knife blade to scrape along your skin underneath the barb and flick it out, without squeezing the venom sac. Ice Sore Spot Put an ice cube on the sting site to keep down the swelling and pain. Use ice on and off for about the first 10 minutes -- put it on for a few minutes, leave it off a few minutes, and so on, one doctor suggested. Apply Baking-Soda Paste Make a paste from baking soda and water and place it on the sting. Comfort Sting With Compress To ease soreness and itching, apply a compress made from a washcloth soaked in cool water. Or soak a mini-compress in Burow's Solution (available in drugstores as Domeboro Astringent Solution powder packets) and hold it on the itchy site. Soothe The Itch More itch relief can come from dabbing calamine lotion on the sting or from soaking in a soothing bath prepared with a powdered oatmeal, such as Aveeno. Use Antihistamine Some people develop a severe local allergic reaction to a sting, which is very uncomfortable but not life-threatening, as long as it is contained to the sting site. If you experience a lot of itching, and the sting is swelling rapidly, try taking one dose of an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl (the active ingredient is diphenhydramine). Elevate The Area If a sting becomes so swollen that it actually aches, elevate the stung arm, leg or other body part so that gravity helps fluid leave the area, reducing swelling and the soreness that comes with it. Information provided by www.healthyideas.com