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)
These killer bees sounds like a type of invasive species that when coming to a new environment somehow adapts to it so well that they can be a harm to the native species already present in that area. Invasive species are quite harmful and tend to spread wide in the new environment at a fast rate, increasing their numbers rapidly. If they are spreading fast, this could be a concern, since invasive species are harmful not only to natives but also to endangered species in many conservations. Are there any steps being taken to eliminate these species from spreading?
ReplyDeleteLoba Alam