Chances are you ’ve try book of facts to the Africanized honeybee , a intercrossed metal money that is the outcome of a1950s experiment blend awfully untimely . It ’s a animal of legend now — the so - call “ Orcinus orca bees”—and the stuff of nightmares for bee - phobic mass and new apiculturist alike . But what exactly is the risk ? Who is in danger and what threat do these bees personate ?
The Africanized honeybee is creditworthy for more death than the European honeybee , a fact that gives the species its nickname . These bees ’ venom is not any more powerful than that of European Apis mellifera , yet they have killed more than 1,000 mankind as well as horses and other livestock since their introduction almost 70 year ago . What sets the Africanized bee asunder ? It is greatly adaptable , more aggressive and more likely to sting in greater telephone number than its European vis-a-vis , posing a substantial scourge .
Given that , how likely are you to see this “ killer ” bee ? And where is it have its large impact ?
You might be surprised to learn that orca bee are more dangerous to the rainforest than to your typical hobby beekeeper . Entomologist David Roubik studied the impact on the Africanized honeybee on the Amazon rain forest . He find that the slayer bee has taken resources available not only to other bee but also butterfly , bats and fowl . The Africanized bee has infiltrated every inch of what we consider wild rain forest territory , and it ’s give its mark wherever it goes . It ’s an encroaching species , and it ’s not sound off .
The real question is whether aboriginal South American Apis mellifera can survive the invasion of these loanblend counterpart , which are experience in a part of the world they do not belong — all because of human tampering .
As Africanized Apis mellifera make their elbow room into the southerly United States and part of California , beekeepers and scientist are working together to control the population of killer bees by hold the species ’ aggressive genes out of their apiaries . One method acting include requeening often , to insure the genetic science within a given hive are known and controlled . Another method , with a similar goal , is call “ drone - flooding , ” which guarantee magnanimous numbers of European drones be in mating congregating areas for virgin queens .
It ’s unclear how to fix the current problem of the trespassing Africanized Apis mellifera , but one affair is clean-cut : We have a responsibleness as apiculturist , and mankind , to do whatever we can to clean up the misunderstanding that have been made . As hobby beekeeper , our function is to supervise our hives cautiously , requeen as necessary , track and make notes of genetic science and the temperaments of our hives , and report any suspect or excessively belligerent behavior to our state inspectors .
