Where have the killer bees invaded?

Answer 1

'Killer bees' are more properly called Africanized Honey Bees. In the 1950s there was a research station in northern Brazil that was trying to find a strain of honey bee that would tolerate tropical conditions better than the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera). Unfortunately 26 Tanzanian honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) queens escaped and mated with local Western honey bee drones. Their offspring survived and spread. They are now as far south as the edge of tropical South America, and northwards through Central America into the southernmost states of the US. They probably won't spread much further because they don't tolerate cold weather in the winter.

The sensationalist media gave them the name 'killer bees' because they are more aggressive than the Western honey bee and there were cases of people receiving a large number of stings. A single sting from an Africanized honey bee is no worse than one from a Western honey bee, but they sting more readily and the attack pheromone released from the sting tends to attract more bees.

Answer 2

'Killer Bees' is a term coined by the media several years ago when they reported that someone had been stung to death by bees. Their proper name is Africanised honey bees. About 60 years ago, bees from Africa were imported into Brazil for laboratory research to try and cross them with the local bees to increase honey production. Some of this new aggressive breed escaped and in the last 60 years have gradually been spreading north through South America, Central America and they are now in the United States and still moving north. Normal honey bees don't usually sting people unless they feel threatened or are defending the colony, but Africanized bees have been known to attack for no apparent reason.

Answer 3

Honey bees (Apis Melifera) aren't native to North America and the first importation was by the early settlers around 1610.

Answer 4

South America, Central America and the southern states of North America.