Pests, Plagues & PoliticsPests, Plagues & PoliticsLecture 10Lecture 10

INVASION OF THE KILLER BEESINVASION OF THE KILLER BEES

Key Points

• Bee Taxonomy–Where do Africanized honey bees (AHB) fit in?

• What differentiates AHB from other honey bees?

• Problems with AHB

• Current distribution of AHB

Africanized Honey BeesAfricanized Honey Bees(AHB)(AHB)

• OrderOrder– HYMENOPTERAHYMENOPTERA

• FamilyFamily– ApidaeApidae

• Genus & speciesGenus & species– Apis melliferaApis mellifera L. L.

Africanized Honey BeesAfricanized Honey Bees

• Apoidea (BEES)Apoidea (BEES)– caca. 20,000 species worldwide. 20,000 species worldwide– caca. 10% of which are social. 10% of which are social– seven major familiesseven major families

• Family ApidaeFamily Apidae– the Bumble Beesthe Bumble Bees– the Stingless Beesthe Stingless Bees– the the HONEY BEESHONEY BEES

Africanized Honey BeesAfricanized Honey Bees

• Family ApidaeFamily Apidae– Genus Genus ApisApis

• Nine species:Nine species:– Apis dorsataApis dorsata & & Apis laboriosaApis laboriosa

• the giant honey beesthe giant honey bees– Apis floreaApis florea & & Apis andreniformisApis andreniformis

• the small or dwarf honey beesthe small or dwarf honey bees– Apis ceranaApis cerana, , Apis koschenikoviApis koschenikovi, , et aliaet alia

• the eastern honey beesthe eastern honey bees

ANDAND

Apis melliferaApis mellifera

• Many biotypes-races-subspeciesMany biotypes-races-subspecies– ca. 25 in the worldca. 25 in the world

• Largest geographical range of any honey Largest geographical range of any honey bee speciesbee species– why?why?

– ANTHROPOGENICANTHROPOGENIC

• NOT NOT ““domesticateddomesticated””

11 races of11 races ofhoney beeshoney bees

Apis dorsataApis dorsata F. F.

The GiantThe GiantHoney BeeHoney Bee

Apis floreaApis florea F.F.

The dwarf honey beeThe dwarf honey bee

Apis ceranaApis cerana F. F.

The eastern honey bee

A. melliferaA. mellifera to the to the ““NewNew”” World World

• North AmericaNorth America– 1622 from Europe1622 from Europe

• South AmericaSouth America– caca. early 19. early 19thth century from Europe century from Europe• a a temperatetemperate animal to largely a animal to largely a tropicaltropical

environmentenvironment

[[note: No honey bees in the western note: No honey bees in the western hemisphere prior to hemisphere prior to 16221622]]

African Honey Bees to BrasilAfrican Honey Bees to Brasil• 19561956– A govt. program to improve the A govt. program to improve the

productivity of honey beesproductivity of honey bees– Headed by Dr. Warwick KerrHeaded by Dr. Warwick Kerr– Honey bee stocks selected in AfricaHoney bee stocks selected in Africa• A.m. scutellataA.m. scutellata

– 19571957• swarms escaped into the wilds.swarms escaped into the wilds.

And thus began the And thus began the reign ofreign of

Research Efforts - AHBResearch Efforts - AHB• CaveatCaveat: prior to mid-1950: prior to mid-1950tiesties, 95% of honey bee research , 95% of honey bee research

had been conducted on had been conducted on Apis melliferaApis mellifera - European - European biotypes!!biotypes!!

• BrasilBrasil– Enormous research effort on AHBEnormous research effort on AHB

• largely ignored by N. American research community.largely ignored by N. American research community.

• USDAUSDA– from mid-1970from mid-1970tiesties onward onward

• French Guyana - Venezuela - Panama - Mexico - French Guyana - Venezuela - Panama - Mexico - Argentina (belatedly)Argentina (belatedly)

The Notoriety of The Notoriety of ““KillerKiller”” Bees Bees

• A A KillerKiller????– If If YESYES, then all bees are killers, then all bees are killers

– If If NONO, then no bees are killers, then no bees are killers

• ““KillerKiller”” – an anthropomorphic term totally an anthropomorphic term totally

inappropriateinappropriate

– created by TIME magazine in the mid-created by TIME magazine in the mid-19601960tiesties

Envenomation (stinging)Envenomation (stinging)

• A A DEFENSIVEDEFENSIVE response response

to colony disturbance!to colony disturbance!

Note: LD50 for stings is about 1,000

StingingStinging

• Mediated by:Mediated by:– Weather;Weather; temperature & relative humidity temperature & relative humidity– Light;Light; day day vsvs. night. night– Odors;Odors; alarm & COalarm & CO2 2 (your breath)(your breath)

– Color;Color; dark targeted preferentiallydark targeted preferentially– Movement;Movement; visual disruptionvisual disruption– Colony sizeColony size– GeneticsGenetics

• AHB react to colony disturbance with an increased quantitative AHB react to colony disturbance with an increased quantitative responseresponse

The Problems with AHBThe Problems with AHB

• Swarm productionSwarm production• Opportunistic selection of nesting sitesOpportunistic selection of nesting sites• Facultative swarm amalgamationFacultative swarm amalgamation• Superior competitive abilitySuperior competitive ability– in foragingin foraging– in sex!!in sex!!

• Heightened & persistent defensive responseHeightened & persistent defensive response

AHB Today!!!AHB Today!!!

• 50,000,00050,000,000 colonies of Ahb now found in colonies of Ahb now found in their New World rangetheir New World range– compared to perhaps compared to perhaps 3,000,0003,000,000 Ehb Ehb

colonies in the white boxes in the U.S.colonies in the white boxes in the U.S.

• First Arrival In U.S.First Arrival In U.S.– October 15 1990October 15 1990

– Hidalgo, TexasHidalgo, Texas

Migration and Distribution as of 2010

Ahb – California2007 2007

MajorMajorqueenqueenproducerproducer

AHB – Florida2006

Potential Potential ““RangeRange”” of Ahb in the U.S. of Ahb in the U.S.

AHB in the U.S.AHB in the U.S.

• AhbAhb is a tropical creature is a tropical creature• EhbEhb is a temperate creature is a temperate creature• Each in their respective ecosystems is Each in their respective ecosystems is

superiorsuperior– ergoergo::• Pure Ahb will not establish in much of the U.S.Pure Ahb will not establish in much of the U.S.• HOWEVER, Hybrids will!!!HOWEVER, Hybrids will!!!

– So whatSo what’’s a s a hybridhybrid??????

Ahb/Ehb HybridsAhb/Ehb Hybrids

• Apis melliferaApis mellifera queen queen mates with 15-20 males– 1 Ahb & 19 Ehb males

• 5%5% of the workers are 50/50 African-European– 10 Ahb & 10 Ehb males

• 50%50% of the workers are 50/50 African-European

• African queenAfrican queen– 1 Ahb & 19 Ehb males

• 5%5% of the workers are pure African– 10 Ahb & 10 Ehb males

• 50%50% of the workers are pure African

Belize: The Ahb Paradigm!!!Belize: The Ahb Paradigm!!!

Totally tropical; totally AhbTotally tropical; totally Ahb

““A small proud nationA small proud nation””

30° S. Lat.30° S. Lat.

35º S. Lat.35º S. Lat.

A mixture ofPure Ahb,Hybridized Ahb,& Pure Ehb

Problems to date!!Problems to date!!• Public HealthPublic Health– minor with minor with caca. . 1010 human deaths in human deaths in 1010 years years

– compared to compared to 500500 human fatalities due to Ehb human fatalities due to Ehb

• BeekeepingBeekeeping– Lost marketsLost markets– Disruption of normal migratory bee movementDisruption of normal migratory bee movement– Increased input costsIncreased input costs– Potential loss of pollination efficacyPotential loss of pollination efficacy

Key Points

• Bee Taxonomy–Where do Africanized honey bees (AHB) fit in

• What differentiates AHB from other honey bees?

• Problems with AHB

• Current distribution of AHB