Killer Bees in Texas
A Honey of a Problem
by Howie Doyle
By spreading the word now, however, perhaps we
can steal some of the Africanized honeybee’s future
media coverage. We can take preventive measures to
avoid confrontation with this slightly psychotic
cousin of the European honeybee. By comparison, the
Euro-bee, who buzzes around the lip of our Coke cans
and dances among the clover, is merely annoying.
The problem is we already have a fixed idea of
the threat a honeybee represents, an assessment most
of us have based on the years of observing honeybee
activity. In our minds, “killer bees” are the stuff
of disaster films, in which their behaviors and
traits are fantasically exaggerated and
fictionalized.
Well, things have changed, and guess what? The
next airborn pest you see may not be your
grandfather’s honeybee. “The Africanized bee is a
hybrid that interbreeds with the familiar European
variety,” said Rusty Jenney, a licensed pest control
expert with EnviroTeam Pest Control based in
Magnolia. “They invade local honeybee nests and
evolve the European variety into the Africanized
strain.” The two strains look so much alike that it
takes an expert and lab equipment to confirm
identification.
All honeybees originated in tropical Africa in
the dawn of prehistory. The first European settlers
brought the honeybee with them to the United States,
where it thrived and provided an ample honey crop.
Fast-forward to the year 1956, when African
honeybees were imported into Brazil for
cross-breeding with local bees to increase honey
production. Within a year 26 colonies had escaped,
interbreeding with the local European bee and
forming hybrid “Africanized” populations that
advanced northward at a pace almost 200 miles each
year. They began their invasion of Texas in 1990 and
were first detected in Harris County in 2001.
Montgomery and Walker Counties followed in 2002,
Waller County in 2003, and Grimes County in 2004.
“Probably 75 percent of Texas counties now have
Africanized bees,” stated Paul Jackson, Chief of the
Texas Apiary Inspection Service (the Texas
regulatory agency of the beekeeping industry). He
says that news reports of “killer bee” attacks are
sensational, but they don’t provide useful
information or defensive measures.
What’s Different About a “Killer” Bee?
In 1978, disaster-movie mogul Irwin Allen released
the big-budget flick, “The Swarm.” This legendarily
bad bee-movie, seen by millions and set in Houston,
contained many inacuracies and distortions of
Africanized bee behavior. For example:
- A huge swarm brings helicopters crashing to
the ground;
- Bees neutralized an intercontinental
ballistic missile site;
- A giant bee terrorizes a man;
- Bees utilize super intelligence and strength
to shred plastic cups;
- Bees have super toxic venom;
- Bees do not die after stinging;
- Bees cause a nuclear power plant to explode.
Director Allen closes the film with this cheesy,
policially-correct message: “The African killer bee
portrayed in this film bears absolutely no
relationship to the industrious, hard-working
American honeybee to which we are indebted for
pollinating vital crops that feed our nation.”
In fact, the fictionalized killer bee portrayed
in “The Swarm” (and a spate of copycat movies that
came out afterwards) bears no relationship to any
existing bee species... but the Africanized bees in
Texas are indeed related to the honeybee. Why Are
Africanized Bees So Dangerous?
“Because the Africanized bees in our area are
part African and part European, they often behave
much like European honeybees,” stated Jackson, who
says that it may be hard to tell the difference, but
certain behaviors have been noted that, especially
in combination, strongly indicate the Africanized
strain short of lab analysis.
All honeybees tend to nest in trees, houses, and
other structures well above the ground. Jackson
asserts, “We know that if you see a swarm of bees at
rest (not in flight) three feet or closer to the
ground, odds are they are Africanized, but not for
sure. It’s just an indicator.” He adds that,
“Africanized bees don’t read the textbook. Their
behavior depends on what mood they are in.”
Jenney has also observed differing behaviors.
“Africanized bees are not as particular about where
they nest. They are often found on the shaded side
of a structure where it stays cooler.”
Field studies do indicate that the newer
Africanized bees are less discriminating. They will
inhabit crawlspaces underneath homes, utility access
boxes, the underside of bridges, and burroughs or
holes in the ground. Jackson concurs, “Africanized
bees often take up housekeeping in the ground if
they find a hole (such as that) left by an armadillo
or a fox. They also like mobile homes, for some
reason. European honey bees don’t as a rule share
these behaviors.”
Jackson said Africanized hybrids are more of a
threat in our area because of other known behaviors
that differ from European honeybees. They are more
easily threatened, and will protect their colony by
chasing intruders up to 400 feet, four times as far
as European honeybees. Irritable Africanized bees
respond aggressively to the vibrations from lawn
equipment such as lawnmowers, weedeaters, chainsaws,
and other small engines.
“There are some things we know about Africanized
bees,” Jackson said. “They don’t like dark objects.
They don’t like fast moving objects. They don’t like
panty hose, or perfume, or cologne that men wear.”
He adds, “Although the amount and potency of venom
delivered in a sting is equal, Africanized bees are
more aggressive, and they attack in greater
numbers.”
Both Africanized and European bees can be seen
swarming from March through late May or early June,
depending on the local climate. But according to
Jackson, the similarity ends the other nine months
of the year. “Africanized bees go into ‘absconding’
season from June all the way through until
February.” In this behavior, he said, “the hive
might break into 15 or 20 small units, each with a
queen, and strike out looking for new places to
establish a home. Often the original hive is
abandoned, although some of the bees may stay to
inhabit the original hive.” What this means is the
Africanized bees are on the move in Texas 12 months
of the year. It also means that if you see a swarm
from the latter part of June through February, they
are probably Africanized bees.
In Case of Attack... Then What?
If someone has ventured too close to an Africanized
colony, they will likely see a sight worthy of any
horror movie... which is why prevention and
avoidance are so important. In the event of a bee
confrontation, the universal advice seems like a
no-brainer: run. Get as far away as possible, as
quickly as possible. Protect your face, neck and
chest. “If possible, pull your shirt up over your
head.,” Jenney advised, adding, “Bees are tricky,
and will try to locate your earholes and eyeholes.”
Beyond this basic advice, there are measures that
can be taken specific to certain common situations
that will decrease the likelihood of Africanized
bees living up to their “killer” reputation: Get
into a vehicle or house or if it is a brushy area,
put as much brush between the source of the bees and
yourself. Call 911 if you witness someone being
stung, and be sure to tell emergency personnel
exactly what the situation is so they can come
prepared to deal with the bees when trying to
administer aid. “Don’t jump into a pool or pond to
escape bees, because then you have demobilized
yourself,” Jackson advised. “When you come up out of
the water they are still waiting for you, and the
worst places you can get stung are the face, neck
and chest.”
Jackson describes survival measures if one is
stung close to home: “If you are outside your house
and are attacked by a swarm of, let’s say 25,000
bees, which is a reasonable number, drop everything
and run inside the house. A thousand bees might come
in the door with you, but you will be rid of 24,000
bees. Then go into another room and turn off the
light. Another 60 bees might come in the room with
you, but you’ll sooner survive an attack of 60
stings than one of 1,000 stings.” If a homeowner’s
dog is fenced into the back yard and is attacked,
Jackson said the homeowner should venture out to
open the gate – if he can safely do so – and turn on
the sprinklers. The dog can then run away, and the
bees will be dispersed to avoid having their wings
wetted.
Jackson poses the question, “If someone is way
out in the boondocks working with a timber cutting
crew and a swarm attacks, is he going to know what
to do?” He then describes survival tactics specific
to the setting: “He should drop his equipment and
run to his truck. Turn on the A/C all the way and
drive off, lowering the passenger window one inch.
The cold air will drive the bees out. He should
drive straight to the Emergency Room.” He added, “In
that same situation, to save someone else who is
being attacked, pull the pickup truck close to him
and tell him to jump in, then drive off. The wind
will blow the bees off.”
Avoidance Can Prevent Confrontation
“I am convinced that 50 percent of stinging problems
in the state of Texas are preventable,” asserts
Jackson. He explains that in his experience, “the
person who gets stung sometimes knew that the nest
was there months ago. People are hesitant to pay
$100 or $150 to take the nest out. I’d rather pay
that than pay $500 at the emergency room.”
Jackson said that 60 to 70 percent of pest
control companies won’t handle bee calls because of
the equipment, training, and risk involved in
beehive removal. Rusty Jenny performed his first
Africanized beehive removal job in a West University
home. The residents called a professional before
anyone was attacked, although they made multiple
contacts before they found someone with the
necessary expertise. “No one wanted to tream them
because they were so aggressive. All you had to do
was pull up in the driveway and bees would come
zipping by.”
“When we arrived we notified the neighbors of
what we were doing and asked them to be careful,”
Jenney said. The removal itself required only a
protective beekeeper’s suit and a solution of water
and dishwashing fluid to drive the bees away. “One
employee stayed in the truck,” Jenney said, “and the
other walked to where the bees were located and put
the ladder up against the house. A thick cloud of
bees instantly swarmed him. We later found between
100 and 200 stingers in each of his gloves.” This
horrifying scenario shows just how dangerous it can
be to fail to call an expert – promptly – if a hive
is detected.
A New Bee in Town
Jackson is an advocate for public information on
Africanized bees and survival tactics, and has a lot
of information for those willing to listen.
When a bee stings, the stinger comes out and the
bee dies shortly thereafter. “The stinger has a bulb
at the end, similar to an eye dropper, and if you
squeeze it when removing the stinger you will force
more of the venom into the skin.” Jackson advises,
“Use your fingernail or get a credit card and scrape
it out.”
“Another important measure is to do something
quickly to kill the pheromone smell, which attracts
bees,” commented Jackson. “An old cowboy out in the
field could spit chewing tobacco on it, but meat
tenderizer works well for most folks. They sell
sting relief medicated applicators and pads to
relieve pain and itching, and the alcohol or camphor
in these can mask the pheromone scent.”
Jenney agrees that removing this scent is
important. “If you are attacked by Africanized bees
located on farm land, get as far away from them as
you can – at least two miles away.” Only then, he
says, is it safe to rub down with soap and water to
remove the scent.
If you suspect that you are allergic to bee
venom, or are highly allergic or asthmatic, it might
be a good idea to have skin testing done by an
allergist to determine if you are allergic to bee
venom. For severely allergic patients there is an
epinephrine injector pen that can be a life saver.
There is no need for panic... just don’t forget
that the next honeybee you see might be your old
friend’s mean cousin. “We ought to be discussing
this with our kids, having mini-drills on what to
do,” he asserted, noting that when someone is
attacked by the new bee in town, “The average person
doesn’t know what to do.”
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