Killer bees from Africa

The breed of bees bred between two European and African bees in the 1950s in Brazil has spread throughout South and Central America. This aggressive bee is a constant danger for people living near them.

The first African hybrid was discovered in Arizona - USA when the bees nesting in a Tucson home burned down a small dog on June 6, 1993. Experienced beekeepers and federal scientists have checked the remaining bees in the nest, indicating they are between 4 and 8 months old. These bees can appear in Arizona in October 1992. This is the second state in the United States, after Texas, confirming the emergence of creatures from neighboring Mexico.

Killer bees (left photo) and its stinger - Photo: biology.ucsd.edu

Later, the first person died of this type of bee in Arizona on October 6, 1995. The victim is an 88-year-old man who died after being stung by a bee for more than 1000 notes. The second human victim was a 66-year-old man near the city of Phoenix. The man had been stung by about 130 notes, and he died 12 days later. Older people are more at risk when being stung by bees.

Hybrid African bees are the result of breeding between two European and African bees. In the 1950s, Brazilian geneticists argued that bees from the tropics of Africa could better adapt to the tropical climate of South America, compared to bees from Europe.

Killer bees produce extremely fast - Photo: biology.ucsd.edu

However, African hybrid bees have escaped into the natural environment before the breeding process has ended. These bees have very aggressive characteristics. After escaping into the natural environment, they reproduce extremely fast, with a rate of about 480km / year spread across tropical regions of South and Central America. Two small beehives happened to be transferred from South and Central America to the United States through boxes - where African hybrid bees nest - transported by sea.

The first African bee herd was destined to move to the United States in October 1990 at Hidalgo, Texas state. Since then, colonies of bees have started to expand to the north and west of the state and spread to northern Mexico. Currently, they are present in four US states that border Mexico. Despite this, there are many different predictions about the extent of this 'killer' bee. But luckily, their spread rate in the US is relatively slow.

In response to the development of this dangerous bee, people have used fire sprinklers and a chemical chemical to destroy them. This method is similar to using soap to melt fat. The chemicals will dissolve the water-proof wax covering the bees' bodies, then the sprayed water will seep into the body and destroy them.