Hot News

4.04.2006

By SEAN CLOUGHERTY

DOVER, Del. — The biggest topic buzzing around the annual meeting of the Delaware Beekeepers Association was Africanized Honey Bees (AHB); how to control their spread, how to manage them for commercial use and how to educate the public about them.
“I don’t think this is a beekeeper problem. Beekeepers will figure this out. I think this is an everybody-else problem,” said Jerry Hayes, Florida chief apiary inspector.
Hayes spoke to the group on March 25 at the University of Delaware Extension’s Pardee Center about how Africanized honey bees are handled in his state.
He first pointed out that AHB’s are not the “killer bees” labeled by news media that first arrived in Texas in the 190’s. Since then, 14 deaths in the United States have been attributed to multiple stings from an Africanized colony.
“There have been more people killed from hitting a deer on the highway than by Africanized Honey Bees,” he said.
With colonies of AHB’s detected in 14 Florida counties, area beekeepers are concerned about the spread up the East Coast and how the media will handle it. There have not been any confirmed finds of AHB colonies in Delaware, Maryland or Virginia according to Dewey Caron, professor of entomology at the University of Delaware.
Educating the public about AHB’s and what to do in case any honey bee colony is disturbed should be a priority, Hayes told the group. He said speaking at schools to children is a good way to spread information.
“Anything you teach the kids, they’re going to take home,” Hayes said.
Caron said the association needs to make media contacts to dispel myths and designate a spokesperson to be prepared if an stinging incident occurs. Caron and Hayes said educating first responders like firefighters and paramedics on how to handle a swarm or a disturbed colony is also important.
Hayes and Caron said part of the message to the public should be that beekeepers are the first line of defense in controlling of AHB’s.
“We are part of the solution,” Caron said. “We slow down colonization.”
Hayes told the group of one Florida county that banned any resident from keeping bees. After the beekeepers removed their colonies, about 1,500 Africanized colonies came in and people had to pay to have the colonies removed at about $500 a colony.
“Anytime you take something out of the environment, it will get replaced by something else,” Hayes said.
Bob Mitchell, Delaware apiary inspector, said the need for control and awareness is key because a stinging incident in Delaware could change how the industry is regulated.
“One incident, and the Department of Agriculture may not be regulating bees in Delaware. It may become the Department of Public Safety,” Mitchell said.
Hayes used the word “grumpy” to describe Africanized Honey Bees throughout his speech and said that AHB’s is “Darwinism at it’s best.” In Africa, the bees face numerous predators, including humans, and over time they have evolved to become super-protective.
AHB’s main differences are in how they defend their hive and how the swarm or move. AHBs are known to have a quicker response when their colony is disturbed.
When they feel threatened, they emit a pheromone that will recruit other colonies to come to their aid. Hayes said they will respond with three or four times more bees and sting 10 times more than regular bees.
They will also defend up to a quarter-mile perimeter around the hive compared to European honey bees at about 300 yards.
AHB’s swarm or branch off and create a new colony about 13-15 times per year, compared to European bees swarming about once a year. This allows the Africanized colonies to infiltrate and take over European colonies quickly.
Also, if a colony feels the nest is not safe, it will “abscond” or leave for a new nest miles away. Swarming and absconding pose a problem for area beekeepers who will have to keep their colonies from leaving if AHB’s reach the Mid-Atlantic region.
Africanized colonies are generally smaller than European colonies and are much less selective in where they nest. Hayes showed photos of colonies that nested in old tires, a gas grill, and mail boxes. He also said about 20 percent of Africanized colonies nest in the ground.
“Any place where there’s a void or they can find a void is a potential nesting site, Hayes said.
Caron also discussed AHB’s with the group and said while they have not made it to this region, it is very possible they could spread and beekeepers will have to adjust to manage them.
“Once they get established, they’re here,” Caron said.
If colonization by AHB’s becomes a reality for this area, Caron said there are some things beekeepers can do to keep them from taking over hives. More frequent requeening, replacing the current queen with a certified is most effective, Caron said. Drone saturation is another method that can keep AHB’s from overtaking a colony. Keeping bees in an isolated area inside a “vegetative corral” will also protect them, Caron said.
Though AHB’s have overtaken all European bees in South America and Central America, beekeepers are managing them and using them for pollination. They keep the bees more isolated to reduce the risk of public interaction and always wear protective clothes and veils when handling bees.
The region’s climate may also slow the Northern spread of Africanized colonies, Caron said. He said the bees’ behavior also changes slightly in cooler climates. They tend to store more honey, stay together long and be less defensive, he said.