WARNING! KILLER BEES HAVE INVADED ARIZONA

Transcription

1 WARNING! KILLER BEES HAVE INVADED ARIZONA Prepared by: Serving Arizona locally since 1936 g THE SERVICE YOU DESERVE

2 When you think of killer bees, you might think of giant swarms of bees hunting down their victims and stinging them thousands of times with their lethal venom. And while, Africanized bees have been making headlines since they first arrived in North America, much of this idea is false and has been perpetuated by the media to play upon people s fears. In Arizona it has been said that 90% or more of the bees that populate the state are Africanized. These Africanized bees, however, do not attack without warning. One hint that you may be in danger of a bee attack is that they will send out highly aggressive scout Bee s to warn you not to proceed any closer. If miss or do not to take the warning, a killer bee attack can leave you with hundreds or even thousands of stings. So, how do you differentiate myths from facts? This guide provides you with everything you need to know about killer bees, why they are so dangerous, how to avoid them, and how to safely get rid of them. 2

3 Why Are Killer Bees So Dangerous? African bees, also known as Killer bees, often cause public panic. However, this fear is usually excessive due to outlandish portrayals of killer bees in movies and TV shows. Africanized bees are dangerous because they are more aggressive than average bees. However, by understanding why and how these bees are dangerous we can be better prepared to deal with them if we do come across them. CHARACTERISTICS Africanized honeybees are so dangerous because they are so much more aggressive than their much calmer cousin the European honeybee. Africanized honeybees are more aggressive because they are more easily provoked, attack in greater numbers, and pursue the perceived threat for greater distances. Africanized bees are simply honeybees that were hybridized in an attempt to make them able to survive in different climates. Unfortunately, the resulting bees are more aggressive than their tamer counterparts. In Arizona, these characteristics are only heightened. This is due to the fact that only the most aggressive hives have been able to survive the long droughts in Arizona. Natural selection has only encouraged a more and more aggressive breed of bees each year. If you wander anywhere near an Africanized bee hive, they will attack. They are extremely defensive of their home and they do not tolerate anyone intruding into their territory. If they decide to attack, Africanized bees will quickly attack as a swarm. By attacking in a large swarm, they send a strong message to intruders to get out and never come back. This contrasts strongly with how most honeybees will just send one or two bees to attack intruders if they come too close. Africanized honeybees will also pursue an intruder for a greater distance than their more docile cousins. Africanized honeybees will follow and attack you for over ½ a mile if they perceive you as a threat. This is partly because their territory is greater in size than normal honeybees. This means that they will attack you sooner, even if you are still pretty far from their hive. This can make if hard for individuals to recognize they are in danger, and is a big reason African bee attacks often come as a surprise. HOW AFRICAN BEES CAME TO ARIZONA In Europe, there has been a long tradition of bee keeping. Over time, beekeepers have continuously favored and bred more and more docile hives. However, in central and south Africa, bee keeping was not a common practice and therefore the more docile bees were not encouraged as they were in Europe. In addition to this, African hives had to deal with a harsher climate and more predators than their European cousins, which also encouraged African hives to be stronger and more aggressive. In 1956, African bees were brought to Brazil and crossbred with European bees to try and increase honey production in more tropical areas. However, in 1957, 26 swarms escaped and began breeding with the native hives in Brazil. From there, the Africanized honeybees spread throughout South and Central America, eventually reaching North America in By 1993, they had reached Arizona. Today, Africanized honey bees completely over run all parts of Arizona. 3

4 How Do I Recognize, Avoid, and Remove Killer Bees? Now that you know why Africanized bees are so dangerous, how can you recognize and avoid these bees? RECOGNIZING KILLER BEES Africanized honeybees look very similar to normal honeybees. At first glance, the difference between Africanized bees and the much calmer European honeybee may seem minor. They are both winged insects that have a yellowish-brown color and slightly furry appearance. Surprisingly, they are so similar that the venom in an Africanized bee s sting is only slightly more potent than a normal bee sting. However, there are a couple of small physical differences between the two. Africanized honeybees tend to be slightly smaller and darker than the European bees. However, since these differences are so slight, it is best to identify Africanized bees by their behavior. If you encounter a hive that is overly aggressive, it is most likely an Africanized hive. Africanized bees also swarmed more often than European bees. Instead of only swarming once a year, Africanized bees swarm more often at approximately six-week intervals. They are also less selective about where they choose to build their hive and may be found in unlikely places such as crevices, holes in the ground, trees, discarded tires, boxes, or cactuses. While recognizing a hive by how aggressive it is may not be the most comforting identification method, there is some good news. You only really need to worry about Africanized bees if you encounter their hive. Generally, Africanized honeybees will not attack you if they are away from their hive, gathering pollen. Since they are away from their home, they will not feel the need to defend it and they will act just as any other bee you encounter in your garden. How do recognize you re approaching a hive? You can realize that you are approaching a hive by the soft hum you will hear in the air. You might even notice an increase in the amount of bees in the area even if you don t see the hive yet. The hive itself will be crawling with bees, which will make it difficult to miss. AVOIDING KILLER BEES Now that you know how to recognize Africanized honeybees, how do you avoid them? If you are doing yard work, inspect your yard and trees for signs of bees. If you are going hiking, try to avoid perfumes and other odors. Bees are very sensitive to smells and these smells will either attract bees to you or annoy them once you are in their territory. Arizona Exterminating Co. If you do encounter a hive, try to make as little movement as possible as you back away. Bees can detect movement very easily and they will attack if they spot you near their hive. RUNNING AWAY FROM KILLER BEES Africanized bees will aggressively defend their hives at the slightest provocation and will swarm with numbers in the thousands. Therefore, it is important to act fast when confronted by an angry swarm of bees. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, your best line of defense is to run and seek shelter where the bees cannot get in. As you run, try to cover your face with a shirt or other type of material. Bees like to sting the soft parts around your eyes, so you need to take extra care to protect them. After you have escaped the bees, assess the stings and call for emergency help if needed. If you can, try to jump into a car or go inside a house to get away. Don t worry about bringing a few bees with you. The most important thing is to get away from the swarm. If you are in an open space, try to zigzag as you run as far away as possible. The bees might pursue up to ½ mile away from their hive, but keep running until you are outside of their territory. 4

5 TREATING KILLER BEE STINGS After you escape, how do you treat the bee stings you received? Remember, the venom in an Africanized honey bee s sting is only slightly more potent than a normal bee sting so treat the sting the same way you would with any other bee sting Don t try to pull the stingers out with tweezers or your fingers. If you do, you will end up squeezing more venom out of the stinger and into your body. Instead, use your fingernail or another thin flat surface to gently pry the stinger out of your body. Then, wash the stung area with soap and water. However, if you are allergic to bee stings, immediately inject yourself with an epi pen, call 911, and get to a hospital as soon as possible. HOW DO I GET RID OF KILLER BEES? If you find an Africanized bee hive in your yard or in another undesirable location, what should you do? First, do not try to remove the beehive yourself. The last thing you want to do is aggravate an aggressive hive of Africanized bees. Call an exterminator to professionally remove the hive. They have the gear and equipment to safely relocate the Africanized bee hive to a new location. Additionally, bees will rebuild their hive if it is not completely removed. For this reason, you will need to make sure that no part of the hive is left behind. is a premier exterminating service that specializes in bee and wasp removal and extermination. As bees and wasps are an important component to the ecosystem, it is always preferable to remove hives and have them relocated to less populace areas, where they are in less contact with humans. However, should trapping prove impossible will dispatch bees or wasps using traditional extermination methods. Our highly trained team of removal professionals will remove hives and bees and wasps without damaging your property. Safety is our number one priority and we ll take every precaution throughout the extermination process. is fully licensed and insured and prepared to remove the bees and wasps from your property, regardless of scope of infestation. Arizona Exterminating Co. 5

6 You now know everything you need to know to handle an encounter with an Africanized bee hive. As long as you treat Africanized bees with caution and follow the instructions in this guide, killer bees really aren t that scary. You just need to leave them alone and give them some space. However, what if you do need to remove them from your property? Who should you call? At AZT, we have the gear and equipment needed to safely remove an Africanized beehive. With our kind, courteous, and professional exterminators, you can trust that you re in safe hands. We pride ourselves on getting the job done right the first time so you can have the peace of mind you re looking for. Don t wait to get stung, call today and we will help! Home of the All Pest Solution g The information in this ebook was provided by the following sources: azext.com (855)