A swarm of 75,000 killer bees attacked a 71-year-old woman last week after she disturbed their hive.

The woman, who works for Verizon, was about 90 feet from the nest of Africanized honeybees when the insects surrounded her. She suffered about 1,000 stings and serious injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.

The bees had made their home in an underground electrical vault in Palm Desert, California. Five firefighters were also hurt Thursday as they tried to clear the swarm.

Although killer bees’ stings are no worse than those of other bees, the insects are much more aggressive than their more benign relatives. They’re known to relentlessly attack anything that gets within about 50 feet of their hive.

California residents better watch out. More than 600 bees stung two drivers in Los Angeles on Saturday after one of the cars struck a tree and dislodged a large hive.