In 1956, a "mad scientist" had some
African killer bees brought over from
Africa to
Brazil to try to make a new type of hybrid bee by mating killer bees with their cousins, the less aggressive
European honey bees.
The scientist let them loose in the
Amazon Rainforest after the experiment happened, but they escaped and spread slowly throughout the rest of
South America and
Mexico. They moved into the states on the southern
U.S. border in 2002, and are rapidly moving into
Colorado.
Since they migrate more in the winter, they should be in
Montana by this coming winter. The reason these bees are called killer bees is because they are very, very aggressive and will pursue their victim for up to two miles, and they will sting as much as 3,000 times.
Here are some things to do if you encounter killer bees;
To get a killer bee's stinger out:
DO NOT attempt to pull a killer bee's stinger out, that will increase venom flow and swelling
After stinger is removed, IMMEDIATELY apply ice and bee sting ointment (such as baking soda or baking powder mixed with water)
Wrap it loosely, but firmly in something soft, like a cotton pad
If killer bees are attacking your pet:
If you are being chased by killer bees:
To prevent the risk of being chased by killer bees:
don't use lawnmowers or noisy mechanical devices around killer bees' hives
Africanized bees hate high pitched noises
don't spill or drink fruit juice around killer bees or their hives
To calm killer bees:
To defend yourself from them:
How to identify killer bees:
killer bees are smaller than their cousins, the common European honey-bee
Killer bees fly up to 500 miles per hour ( 804.7 kilometers per hour)
The queen lives 3 years
Resources: here, here, and here
For news or more information about killer bees, some interesting stories are here, here,and here. A man was stung 1,000 times, but later recovered.The Boca Raton News says:
"...Africanized honey bees don't have a stronger venom than the native honey bee -- but do usually sting in greater numbers, swarm more often than native honey bees, and defend the hive more rapidly than the native honey bee, thus, the reports of greater stings and hospitalizations -- and in extremely rare cases death...In fact, the experts say that for a normal, healthy person to receive a deadly dose of bee venom, it would take about 10 stings for each pound of body weight, or 1,500 stings at once for a 150-pound person, according to Dr. John Jackman at Texas A&M University..."
Everybody hates killer bees. But the bee species deserves some tough guys, doesn't it? And these honey bees are
prey not hunter.
TECHNORATI TAGS:
KILLER BEES, UNITED STATES, MONTANA, COLORADO, BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, AFRICA, BRAZIL, SAFETY TIPS