I came across this article that informed me that there has been a spike in Africanized Bee numbers in Louisiana. There were a few cases here and there but they are now officially established in the gumbo capital of America. The positive sample was found in a trap along the Mississippi River. The article states “In January, a colony of Africanized honeybees was found in a St. Bernard Parish house being torn down because of damage from Hurricane Katrina. The proximity of this find indicates the bees could be a swarm from that colony or could be from a ship or barge passing by on the river.”
These insects have acquired the name Killer Bees for a reason. They have the same venom as honeybees but tend to attack in large swarms thereby releasing enough toxins to be deadly. It is a misnomer that they are larger than European honeybees; they are in fact smaller. However, their size does not stop them from being terrifying.
The bees were first found in Louisiana in July 2005, and are now establishing themselves farther and farther east. It was the first case of foreign bees moving into the state due to natural range expansion. If you want to learn more about the deadly species entering our south coast, read this article at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912142432.htm.
Posted by Vuzmal Sharma (3)
Killer bees are fascinating - did the article have the numbers on how large their swarms are and how fast they can fly? I've heard they can chase down animals and/or people, but I'm not sure if that's true. Is it likely that they will continue to move farther north?
ReplyDeleteDana Mirsky
Did these bees come from a ship in the first place from Africa? Do you know how long ago it was that they were established in America? What environmental factors might make where they live now as suitable as their natural habitat in Africa? Have these bees evolved any new characteristics adapted to their US environment?Thanks for your blog! Interesting information.
ReplyDeletePosted by Shyla Morsbach
Scary. Yet another example of the negative effects of international trade. We really need to be careful about what we are bringing over with us. If bees can make it over here from Africa (were they originally from Africa?) they what would stop a virus or a deadly parasite from catching a ride also? Are there any predictions on how fast these bees could spread or how far north they could survive or any efforts to control the population?
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