The Savage Bees 1976

Carlina Rios sinks near New Orleans

The Brazilian trawler Carlina Rios drifts into the Mississippi River Delta near New Orleans and is rammed and sunk by the freighter Eastern Hornet. The Coast Guard arrives to investigate, but finds no survivors; the first mate and the Hornet's quartermaster disappear during the incident. The wreck triggers a mystery that hints at a much larger danger looming over the city.

Beastly aftermath: sting victims and a doctor called

Shortly after the wreck, people and animals are found dead with insect sting wounds. Sheriff McKew's dog dies, and coroner Jeff DuRand begins investigating the unusual deaths. Inside animal remains, a massive amount of bees is discovered in the stomach, signaling an alarming infestation.

DuRand enlists Devereaux; police cautioned

DuRand contacts Jeannie Devereaux, an entomologist, to assist with the case, and warns the police about the potential danger. The lieutenant in charge remains skeptical and refuses to warn the public because Mardi Gras is underway. Tension between urgency and public safety grows as authorities debate how much to alert the city.

Origin of the bees traced to Brazil

DuRand, Devereaux, and Rufus Carter uncover that the aggressive insects originate from an aborted crossbreeding experiment involving bees imported from Brazil about ten years earlier. The plan was to boost honey production, but unchecked mixing with local bees created a highly defensive subspecies. The discovery ties the present danger to past human experiments rather than a natural outbreak.

Carter warns against public panic

Carter cautions DuRand and Devereaux that warning the public could trigger overreactions and harm pollination, risking food production on a national scale. The team must balance urgency with caution to avoid panic. They resolve to pursue containment while minimizing mass alarm.

Pelligrino refuses help; Meuller called

The investigators inform Deputy Mayor Pelligrino of the danger, but he refuses to assist or alert the city. They then summon Dr. Jorge Meuller, one of the scientists responsible for the bee project, seeking a technical remedy. Meuller's involvement signals a more proactive, official attempt to control the swarm.

Meuller proposes queen swap to quell aggression

Meuller explains a risky strategy: introducing a new queen to the swarm to suppress aggression and prevent wider spread. He warns that simply killing the current queen would scatter the bees across the country, creating an even bigger problem. DuRand and Devereaux grapple with this controversial plan.

Bees found at a snack stand outside the city

McKew organizes search parties, and the team locates the killer bees at a snack stand on the outskirts of the city. The discovery confirms the bees are active and dangerous beyond the Delta. The team steels themselves for a direct confrontation to stop further deaths.

Meuller enters the hive; disaster

Meuller enters the hive, but two Mardi Gras visitors crash the site, compromising his protective suit in the chaos. All three are stung to death as the swarm launches an attack. The tragedy underscores the immediacy and severity of the threat.

Devereaux lures the swarm to her car

In a frantic turn, Devereaux accidentally hits the horn of her car, drawing the aggressive swarm toward it and enveloping the vehicle. Carter focuses on containment while others watch helplessly as the bees cover the car. The car becomes a focal point in the plan to trap the swarm.

Cooling plan: push the car to a cool zone

Carter proposes moving the car to a location where ambient temperature can be lowered to slow the bees. DuRand coordinates the effort via walkie-talkie as streets are evacuated to ensure safety. The team works to induce a state of dormancy in the swarm.

Bees corralled into Caesars Superdome

With the plan in motion, Devereaux drives the car under police guidance toward the Caesars Superdome while McKew’s deputies clear pedestrians from the area. The stadium becomes the containment site as the swarm is funneled toward a controlled environment. The crowd presence adds urgency to securing the venue.

Cooling system activated; swarm frozen

Inside the stadium, the cooling system is cranked up and the swarm is frozen into a lethargic state, ending the immediate threat. DuRand and Devereaux prepare to exit as the last of the bees fall dormant. A sense of relief is tempered by the knowledge that a single bee might survive.