Saturday, May 26, 2007

African Killer Bees Swarm Florida...

African Killer Bees Swarm Florida..

Well if that doesn't get your attention what would. What I am trying to say is now the State of Florida Is considering any feral bee colonies south of I-4 to be some what Africanized. This means a lot of different things. It means that it could affect our Europen Honeybees that are used to pollinate all the orange groves might be in competition with the Africanized bees. See here are the questions that people ask me all the time.

  1. How can you tell if a colony is Africanized? Well there is really no way to tell with the naked eye. It is usually based on behavior and aggression while in the field.
  2. Why are Africanized Honey Bees (AHB) called Killer bees? The AHB venom is no different than the European Honey Bee (EHB) it that when the alarm pheromone goes off in a colony the AHB sends 2/3 of its colony to protect the hive as the EHB only sends about 1/3 and the AHB is extremely more aggressive.
  3. Do the bees have to be killed? Yes the State of Florida recommends that all feral bee colonies be exterminated South of I-4 in Florida.
  4. Why don't we learn to live with the AHB? AHB colonies are very poor pollinators and are also very poor honey makers and there aggression is yet another point.
  5. Can't I just kill them with wasp spray? No that is highly not recommended. You will not stand a chance without proper safety equipment and methods.

Recently Nuisance Wildlife Relocation Inc. owners Jeff and Christy Norris along with Technician Cory Young completed a course on the AHB put on by DR.William Kern from the University of Florida. Certifying them in AHB Management.

If you have any questions please call Nuisance Wildlife Relocation Inc. at 1-866-263-WILD(9453) or stop by our website at http://www.floridawildlifetrapper.com/

Until Next time....

Jeff Norris

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