In the 1950’s,
scientists brought African Honeybees to Brazil where they
were crossed with European Honeybees in hope of creating
a hybrid bee with improved honey production. In 1956, 12
of these Africanized Honeybee (AHB) queens were released
into the wild. The hybrid AHB spread north across Latin
America. In 1990, the first AHB colonies invaded the USA,
in deep south Texas. The first recorded death attributable
to AHB occurred near Harlingen, Texas in 1991. Today California,
Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama, Georgia, and Florida have all reported growing
numbers of AHB colonies. Recently, Virginia reported an
AHB colony.
The AHB carries
distinctive characteristics from the European honeybee commonly
found in the United States. Both subspecies are roughly
5/8 of an inch long, brownish and slightly fuzzy. Any physical
differences between the two are detectable only by microscope.
Both protect their nests from predators by stinging. Like
European honeybees, the AHB stings once and then dies.
The most significant
difference between the two species is that the AHB is much
more aggressive in the protection of its hive. Bees attack
because of unwanted contact and become extremely defensive
when confronted with vibrations and movement.
A devastating trait of attacking bees is that they are drawn
to carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas exhaled by all mammals. In severe bee attacks, the victims are typically found with
their nostrils, ears, and mouth full of bee stings. This attack
technique makes escape even more difficult. Furthermore, AHB’s
are known to hover over water in which a victim has taken
refuge.
|
