What are Africanized Killer Bees?
Africanized honey bees (also known as “Africanized bees” or “killer bees”) are descendants of southern African bees imported to South America in 1956. Introduced into Brazil from southern Africa, it is adapted to longer warm seasons than are northern honey bees. Brazilian scientists were attempting to breed a honey bee better adapted to the tropics. Unfortunately, some of the bees escaped quarantine and began breeding with local Brazilian honey bees. Since 1957, pure African bees and their hybrid offspring, the Africanized honey bee, have vigorously multiplied and extended their range throughout South, Central, and North America at rates frequently exceeding 200 miles per year. Africanized bees do not store as much honey to take them through the winter as honey bees do. They have smaller colonies and tend to swarm more often. Smaller swarms allow colony development in smaller cavities. Though the africanized killer bees venom is no more potent than that of our native European honey bee
