Killer Bees
Jacquelyn Aguirre
Group 2
Mallory Deboer
Claudia Castro
Katelyn Van Chau
Arthur Rinderknech
Invasive species have negative effects on our environment, economy and health all over the world. Apis mellifera, better known as the Africanized Honey Bee, has caused many environmental and health problems in all the nations that it has invaded. They are “commonly found in hollow trees, rotting logs and wood and rock piles” (A). Africanized honeybees are very aggressive and have been known to sting intruders up to 50 feet away from their hive and continue to chase the intruder for up to a mile. Most bees only attack with 10-20 bees but Africanized Honey Bees swarm with hundreds of bees. Their aggressiveness gives them the nickname “Killer Bees”. Africanized Honey Bees are a hybrid between European and African bee subspecies. They were inadvertently released into Brazil in the early 1950s. Since then, they have spread south to Northern Argentina and north to North America and throughout south and Central America. This widely migrated species of bees has caused a threat to other competing bees, corralled livestock, pets and to all those who are highly allergic to bee stings. Competing bee colonies suffer because they are not able to produce enough honey. The Killer Bees invade these colonies by killing the queen and replacing it with their own. Killing the queen of every colony they invade isn’t the real damage but “mating and reproducing this species” of killer bees is (A).
Many would ask what caused this species of bee to migrate to such lengths and still continue to thrive as a colony. In order to prove that the Africanized Honeybees are still continuing to reproduce I would conduct an experiment that would prove their viability, endurance and adaptability. Even though a small number of these killer bees were accidently released years ago, their “ability to reproduce at such a quick and constant rate is overwhelming” to many other nations and species that
Group 2
Mallory Deboer
Claudia Castro
Katelyn Van Chau
Arthur Rinderknech
Invasive species have negative effects on our environment, economy and health all over the world. Apis mellifera, better known as the Africanized Honey Bee, has caused many environmental and health problems in all the nations that it has invaded. They are “commonly found in hollow trees, rotting logs and wood and rock piles” (A). Africanized honeybees are very aggressive and have been known to sting intruders up to 50 feet away from their hive and continue to chase the intruder for up to a mile. Most bees only attack with 10-20 bees but Africanized Honey Bees swarm with hundreds of bees. Their aggressiveness gives them the nickname “Killer Bees”. Africanized Honey Bees are a hybrid between European and African bee subspecies. They were inadvertently released into Brazil in the early 1950s. Since then, they have spread south to Northern Argentina and north to North America and throughout south and Central America. This widely migrated species of bees has caused a threat to other competing bees, corralled livestock, pets and to all those who are highly allergic to bee stings. Competing bee colonies suffer because they are not able to produce enough honey. The Killer Bees invade these colonies by killing the queen and replacing it with their own. Killing the queen of every colony they invade isn’t the real damage but “mating and reproducing this species” of killer bees is (A).
Many would ask what caused this species of bee to migrate to such lengths and still continue to thrive as a colony. In order to prove that the Africanized Honeybees are still continuing to reproduce I would conduct an experiment that would prove their viability, endurance and adaptability. Even though a small number of these killer bees were accidently released years ago, their “ability to reproduce at such a quick and constant rate is overwhelming” to many other nations and species that