It is important to note at this point that “feral” honey bees are not considered the
same as wild bees, which are native to the locale. Rather, feral honey bees are those
that escape apiaries and establish colonies away from human management, but are
still an alien species.
2.2.5 Africanized Honey Bee
All subspecies of Apis mellifera can interbreed or hybridize. The Africanized honey
bee is a hybrid of the European honey bee and African bee, which are two separate
strains of the same Apis mellifera species. Africanized bees acquired the appellation
“killer bee” due to their highly aggressive defense behavior, which can often result in
serious injury and death for humans and other animals [25].
Pure African honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata, were imported into São Paulo,
Brazil, in 1956. The intention was to breed the African honey bees, which were
better adapted to a tropical environment, with European honey bees in order to
improve country’s honey production. Just 1 year later in 1957, 26 African queen
bees were accidentally released or escaped from the managed facility into the wild.
The cross-bred descendants of these African and European honey bees quickly
established a large feral population of Africanized honey bees. This event
unintentionally demonstrated the Africanized honey bee’s superior adaptation to
the tropical environment. In just over four decades, these wild AHB migrated to most
of the tropical and subtropical area of America, from South to Central then to North
America.
The first permanent colonies arrived in City of Hidalgo, Texas, from Mexico was
in 1990; the first documented AHB case in the State of Florida near Tampa was
2001; by 2003, AHB had spread to Tampa and throughout of the Florida state. By
July 2009, AHBs have been confirmed in ten southern United States: Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and
Florida [26] (Fig. 1.2).
Africanized Honey Bee Characteristics Summary
Beyond the very aggressive hive defense behavior, Africanized bees exhibit additional differences from their European cousins (Table 1.2).
Heightened Defensiveness
The Africanized honey bee is notorious for highly aggressive defense behavior.
However, they do not randomly seek out victims to attack. They are very sensitive to
alarm pheromone and produce much more of it than European honey bees [31].
They ardently guard and protect their hives within a wide range of at least 30 m.
Africanized bees also have a low threshold for disturbance; direct hive disturbance is
12
C. Li
same as wild bees, which are native to the locale. Rather, feral honey bees are those
that escape apiaries and establish colonies away from human management, but are
still an alien species.
2.2.5 Africanized Honey Bee
All subspecies of Apis mellifera can interbreed or hybridize. The Africanized honey
bee is a hybrid of the European honey bee and African bee, which are two separate
strains of the same Apis mellifera species. Africanized bees acquired the appellation
“killer bee” due to their highly aggressive defense behavior, which can often result in
serious injury and death for humans and other animals [25].
Pure African honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata, were imported into São Paulo,
Brazil, in 1956. The intention was to breed the African honey bees, which were
better adapted to a tropical environment, with European honey bees in order to
improve country’s honey production. Just 1 year later in 1957, 26 African queen
bees were accidentally released or escaped from the managed facility into the wild.
The cross-bred descendants of these African and European honey bees quickly
established a large feral population of Africanized honey bees. This event
unintentionally demonstrated the Africanized honey bee’s superior adaptation to
the tropical environment. In just over four decades, these wild AHB migrated to most
of the tropical and subtropical area of America, from South to Central then to North
America.
The first permanent colonies arrived in City of Hidalgo, Texas, from Mexico was
in 1990; the first documented AHB case in the State of Florida near Tampa was
2001; by 2003, AHB had spread to Tampa and throughout of the Florida state. By
July 2009, AHBs have been confirmed in ten southern United States: Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and
Florida [26] (Fig. 1.2).
Africanized Honey Bee Characteristics Summary
Beyond the very aggressive hive defense behavior, Africanized bees exhibit additional differences from their European cousins (Table 1.2).
Heightened Defensiveness
The Africanized honey bee is notorious for highly aggressive defense behavior.
However, they do not randomly seek out victims to attack. They are very sensitive to
alarm pheromone and produce much more of it than European honey bees [31].
They ardently guard and protect their hives within a wide range of at least 30 m.
Africanized bees also have a low threshold for disturbance; direct hive disturbance is
12
C. Li