Africanized Honey Bees (Killer Bees)
Most people are familiar with the existence of what are commonly called killer bees. They have been the stuff of movies and legend for quite some time. What some people do not realize is that they are real, and they can be quite dangerous. The following will help us gain a better understanding of just what killer bees really are.
Origin
Killer bees are actually a mixed breed. They originated when Brazilian scientists took South African bees and tried to breed them to produce more honey. These bees ended up breeding with the Brazilian honey bee to become what we know as the killer bee. When this happened, they quickly multiplied and began to spread out of control. They made their first appearance in the United States in the early nineties, in the South West States.
Contrary to popular belief, the poison in their sting is no more potent than the average honey bee. The thing that sets killer bees apart is the fact that they are extremely aggressive. Very rarely will someone bee stung by just a single bee. When they attack, they attack in large swarms. They also need very little reason to attack. They will attack even if you are near their hive, you don't even have to be provoking them. When an attack begins, the chemical released into the victim will attract other bees to join the attack. This is how these killer bees have gotten their name.
If you do experience a killer bee attack, many of the same rules apply that are recommended for common bees. The first thing you want to do is cover your head and face. This is probably the area that they are swarming around. The next thing you want to do is run for cover. Try to get to a house or a car or some other type of shelter. Some people might recommend jumping into water, but killer bees are highly intelligent and they will wait for you to come back up. Another thing to remember is how aggressive these bees are. They will pursue you much farther than regular bees will. If you have been stung, chances are you have been stung many times. Once you reach shelter, seek medical treatment immediately.
There are some other things you should keep in mind if you live in an area that has a history of killer bees. You should be suspicious of any bees that you see acting overly aggressive or out of the ordinary. One killer bee can breed with a colony of regular bees and make the entire hive aggressive. If you find a colony of bees on your property, have it removed by your local pest control. If you suspect an area of your property to be the location of a hive, seal it up immediately.
