Africanized Honey BeesAfricanized Honey Bees

Do we need to be concerned!Do we need to be concerned!

Unknown artist’sScary vision of AfHB

Dewey M. Caron

OriginOriginOut of East Africa

Swarming into wild in Brazil

Changing American Beekeepers& Beekeeping

Native (Masai) harvest of rustic colonyIn tree – nightime w/ smoke & fire

Beekeeper contemplating AHB swarm capture

Beekeeper inspection of AHB colony in Panama Note: using jumbo smoker

Africanized bee spread in AmericasAfricanized bee spread in Americasfollowing introduction into Brazil (1957)following introduction into Brazil (1957)

Pacific coast of Peru/Ecuadordue to beekeepercolony movement

Numerous importations into Eastern ports - eliminated

X

Isolated introductions X by truck/rail/beekeeper - eliminated

X Maine blueberry pollinationsampling shows increase of AHB

XXXX

X

2005 Fl considered colonized

X ARX LA

X OKX AL

X 2005

Why is Africanized Bee (AHB) Why is Africanized Bee (AHB) sometimes called “killer bee”?sometimes called “killer bee”?“Killer” Bee is a media (TIME) term – Bee is highly defensive and stinging incidentsIncrease when it colonizes an area (newspaper account AZ & southern CA stinging increase)

Animal stinging “accidents” often preceed those with humanssee www.stingshield.com/ahb-index.htm for compilation of media stories

What is an Africanized Bee (AHB)?What is an Africanized Bee (AHB)?

A Honey Bee Populationw/ slight biological changes

AHB differences from EHB – swarm a lot, are frequently defensive, run on combs, rear workers in 19 days, queens in 15 ½ days, are slightly smaller bodied, early risers and not great dancers, - slight variations in biology familiar in European (temperate) bees (EHB).

Workers ‘running’ off comb

AHB prefer smaller nest cavities & build exposed nests more oftenThan temperate (European) bees

AHB

The Africanized bee is a PollinatorThe Africanized bee is a Pollinatorpapaya

But it is a more difficult bee to manage in planned pollination due to higher swarming /absconding/defensiveness

Melon pollination in

Costa Rica

The AHB is a better honey producer in The AHB is a better honey producer in tropical climates (compared to EHB)tropical climates (compared to EHB)

Tropical Honey Production

Higher elevation (less tropical) conditions in Bolivia

BUT Honey is a valuable medicineBUT Honey is a valuable medicinein 3in 3rdrd world rather than food world rather than food

Honey for saleIn a GuatamalanMarket

Note: you buy bottle or piece of combIn wax paper

The AHB is NOT a hybrid!The AHB is NOT a hybrid! It is essentially pure African but not easy to

ID in early stages of colonization

Shown is Tom Rinderer, USDA making morphometric measures of wings – mt DNA is a more reliable (but costly) method to determine AHB or EHB

Tropical vs Temperate honey bees Tropical vs Temperate honey bees

Temperate EHB in tropics

Selection factor – winter -- so raise more workersand store more honey to survive, swarming/

abandoning the nest less

● store more honey for winter● nest in well-insulated cavities● rear lg worker populations● only 1-3 swarms/year● rarely abandon nest

Tropical vs Temperate honey bees Tropical vs Temperate honey bees Tropical AHB in tropics

● smaller nests ● collect more pollen – less honey● higher reproduction (swarming)● abandon nests more● more defensive

Selective factor – predation -- so more quickly raise brood and reproduce. Defend more rapidly but also abandonnest to reestablish elsewhere

Challenges w/ AHBChallenges w/ AHBIt can be unpredictable!It can be unpredictable!

It can sting a lot – humans & animals have died

Exploding from colony as it is opened

Challenges w/ AHBChallenges w/ AHBNeed new locationsNeed new locations

Need to plan for defensivenessMust now isolate or conceal colonies w/ vegetative corral and move them away from people & animals

Challenges w/ AHBChallenges w/ AHBNeed to modify managementNeed to modify management

+ Keeping them home – must control swarming & absconding

They raise lots of brood – storeless honey

They run off combs when inspected

The major challengeThe major challengeRaising manageable stockRaising manageable stock

Not possibleto keep AHB & EHB in same apiary(EHB not competitive)

Queen finding &rearing is verydifficult with AHB

Where AHB colonize:

IN U.S. Do we have abetter chanceof keeping gentleEuropean stock?

So where has it colonized in US?So where has it colonized in US?

XXX

Source: ars.usda.gov/AHBmap

Not here ....YET!!! Not here ....YET!!!

It is a tropical/sub-tropical bee, not a desirable bee for temperate conditions…We do NOT know its eventual distribution within U.S.

What needs to be done?What needs to be done? Inform beekeepers, 1Inform beekeepers, 1stst responders, public responders, public Establish press relations Establish press relations (it will “hit” the press) (it will “hit” the press)

Survey for its presenceSurvey for its presence Revise bee lawsRevise bee laws Requeen colony ifRequeen colony if

defensivedefensiveKeep on Keep on

beekeeping beekeeping

Beekeepers are part of “solution” – not part of “problem”Beekeepers are part of “solution” – not part of “problem”

So in summary....So in summary....

AHB Honey Bee population has changed AHB Honey Bee population has changed the face of American beekeeping the face of American beekeeping

It is an excellent tropical/semi-tropical beeIt is an excellent tropical/semi-tropical bee

WHERE there is NO alternative!WHERE there is NO alternative!

Pre-AHB apiary

Where they have colonized they are superior competitors – you can’t successfully keep European bees side-by-side

GOOD NEWS!! In South American GOOD NEWS!! In South American higher elevations AHB is more higher elevations AHB is more

manageable!manageable!

They CAN adapt to severe winters...but do better in the south!

Bolivianapiary at 8500 ft

AND they are now a readyAND they are now a readyresource for rural campesinosresource for rural campesinos

USDA photo

A trappedAHB swarm/ abscond

- can be transferredto a hive or honey harvested from wild

So.... Will where will they be a So.... Will where will they be a factor in US Beekeeping???factor in US Beekeeping???

Primarily they are a TROPICAL/SEMI-TROPICAL

ADAPTED BEE

So the answer is....So the answer is....

YET