Killer Bee is the popular name for what is actually called the Africanized Honey Bee and it is the predominant species of honey bee in Arizona. These super aggressive bees can pose a serious health risk to humans and animals alike and colonies need to be dealt with immediately. Because there really is no way to tell the difference between an average honey bee and their Africanized counterparts, all bee infestations should be considered Africanized by default and professionals should be consulted immediately for removal.
But, Bees Are Good, Right?
Bees, whether Africanized or not, are a very crucial part of our ecosystem. They provide the majority of pollination and without them we would fast experience a food shortage. Because of this, people are encouraged to adopt a live and let live relationship with the bees in our environments. Generally, if you don’t bother them, they won’t have any reason to bother you. This usually works pretty well with the exception of cases where bees have built their hives too close to where humans conduct their daily activities.
Why Are Killer Bees So Bad?
The Africanized Honey Bee (AHB), or Killer Bee is really just the result of African Honey Bees purposely bred with Brazilian Honey Bees in an attempt to create a heartier bee for life in tropical climates. Unfortunately, along with being stronger and more resilient, the resulting offspring was also immensely aggressive. To complicate matters further, this new breed of bee migrated north and began to invade Texas and Arizona in the early 1990’s. The AHB’s have a practice of invading neighboring colonies and killing the queen, before taking the colony for their own. In this way, the more aggressive species has become predominant in the American Southwest.
How Can I Tell The Difference Between Killer Bees and Good Bees?
The short answer is, you can’t. There is no difference between the two types of bees beyond extreme aggression. Whereas a regular bee would require you to disturb the hive before it was provoked to sting, the AHB will swarm and attack at the slightest provocation, even vibration can set them off. Though the sting of an AHB is no more dangerous than the sting of a regular honey bee, the danger comes from the sheer numbers of bees involved in the attack. Swarms can happen in seconds and the results can be deadly
If you find a bee hive anywhere close to your home, or see an abnormally large bee population in your area, contact the professionals at Atomic Pest Control immediately. Our qualified bee removal professionals will help.
