Killer bees are very dangerous, and people are right to be afraid of them. When killer bees attack people, they attack in great numbers and often seriously hurt or kill people. Four hundred bee stings can kill a person. A total of 8,000 bee stings is not unusual for a killer bee attack. In fact, a student in Costa Rica had 10,000 stings and died. Often, the bees attack for no reason. They may attack because of a strong smell that is good or bad or because a person is wearing a dark color, has dark hair, or is wearing some kind of shiny jewelry.