African honey bees
Killer bees are known to attack if they feel threatened Wikimedia Commons

A woman in Palm Desert, California, was stung 1,000 times after being attacked by an enormous swarm of killer bees.

Reports say the elderly woman was sitting in her car when she was completely covered by African honey bees.

Five firefighters were also stung as they attempted to rescue the 71-year old woman.

Local TV station KCBS-TV reported the woman was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Three firefighters were also taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Following the incident, insect pest control workers from the company Killer Bee Inc arrived to clear the swarm and they captured the scene on a mobile phone.

The company's owner, Lance Davis, told the local news site The Palm Desert Patch that the aggressive bees may have attacked the woman because they felt threatened by her presence.

The 75,000 hybrid bees are believed to have been living in a buried cable box.

He said: "They just went into her car and attacked her. They were mad. They went after anything that moved within a 90-yard radius.

"We do these jobs all the time, where someone has gotten the bees all excited. Sometimes it doesn't take much to get these guys angry.

"My actions are a lot different around them than most people. People call me the bee whisperer, believe it or not."

California