Africanized Aggressive Honey Bees

California is prone to be in danger because of all the native, nonnative, and invasive species and plants that are overwhelming our state. A native species is those that normally live and thrive in a particular community and they have natural predators that help to keep their populations in check. Non-native species are those living outside its native distributional range and they are not necessarily invasive. Invasive species adversely affect our habitats and biodiversity. Africanized Honey Bees are a very invasive species of animal.

They are a hybrid between a European and African bee. They have the same size, shape, and color as European honey bees. These types of bees cause great danger to our environment and people in California.

Africanized Honey Bees first originated in Brazil in the 1950s. It became invasive to California in 1994. These bees were first started when African honey bees were accidentally released and began to interbreed with European honey bees. These bees aren't a problem in Humboldt County, but they affecting many other cities and countries.

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One encounter with these bees was in the Bay Area. Three Africanized Honey bees were found at the site of a hive in a home in Lawndale on December 16, 1998. It took two hours for the exterminators to spray the apartment down and kill the colony.

The first problem these bees have caused is that they are life-threatening, especially those allergic to bee stings. Their venom is no more dangerous than regular honey bees, however, these bees tend to attack in greater numbers, which causes more danger to humans.

Secondly, they can spread quickly and are very aggressive to not only humans but animals as well. They are known to chase people for more than ¼ of a mile. The annual value added by these bees pollinators of agricultural crops in California exceeded over $3.9 billion. The arrival of the bees in California within the next years threatens the foundation of the honey bee pollination service industry and those agricultural commodities that depend on honey bees. Many beekeepers will probably quit their job after these bees arrive because it will no longer be enjoyable.

There are many ways to prevent these bees from coming to your household. You will first need to reduce the likelihood that an Africanized honey bee will become established on your property by removing potential nest sites. Do not swat any type of bees flying around you, since it will likely provoke them and increase the chances that they will sting you. Carefully inspect your house and other structure for holes or cracks that could lead to an internal cavity, wall space, or crawl space, as bees can build their nests in any of these places. Always be cautious and keep your distance if you locate a nest on your property. African honey bees are much more likely to react in defensive of their hive, so do not pose a threat to them. The cost of the removal of the bee nest is anywhere from $90 to $425.

African Honey bees are impacting California negatively in many ways. A major concern is the impact they have on honey production. Honey has an annual value of $140 million dollars and general pollination of orchards and field crops with an annual value of 10 billion dollars. Killer bees are more likely to abandon their nest. Since their arrival, they have been at least 1,000 deaths recorded from these bees. These types of bees are very quick to respond to any sort of threat than any other bees. Being aware of these types of bees and the difference between them is very important, it could save your life at a point in time.