Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Bee News => Topic started by: Ray on May 15, 2016, 09:55:59 pm
-
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/How-bee-rampage-terrorized-neighborhood-killed-2-7470176.php
WOW! This will set back beekeeping in that area.
-
Boy! That is getting too close to home... :sad:
-
All I can say is, WOW! And I thought mine were getting hot when I get 3 or 4 head butts!
-
Yah! and it's definately something to think about that the african bees are making it to Calif now.
-
That's it, we need laws to hinder the purchasing of bees at a "bee show." :):):):)
-
That's it, we need laws to hinder the purchasing of bees at a "bee show." :):):):)
Gotta get rid of that "Bee Show Loophole"! :D
-
did anyone every really figure out if the hive was africanized or not?
one should not presume that this cannot happen with european bees or that the bees in question were africanized.
it seem a 'somewhat' local beekeeper has reported that someone a bit south of me is selling 'cut out' africanized bees. which I think is illegal by Texas Law....evidently getting the new state bee inspector to act on this is another problem we have.
-
From the story page.
5/24/2016 UPDATE: DNA tests later confirmed despite the deadly behavior, the species of bees involved were not in fact Africanized "Killer" bees.
European honey bees can get/be nasty at times. and it isn't always genetics. environmental, biological, and other stresses placed on the bees can cause them to be overly aggressive.
-
Yes tec, Randy Oliver reported the honey bees were originally (was it fifteen years?) of RWeaver's Buckfast stock...the original Buckfast bees had some 'African' genes in their lineage, so the bees in question were probably not the infamous 'AHB.' Jumping to the conclusion that 'Africanized' bees are established that far North seems to rest on a faulty premise. Time will tell. :)
-
When the pheromone is in the air, things can get nasty--africanized bees just get it out there sooner. A friend of mine found the first documented swarm of africanized bees in Texas years ago.
-
thanks for the updated information on this apisbee and lee. I think Randy Oliver also said that the prior id of africanized bees that far north in California was based upon a sample size of one (ie 1 bee and not 1 bee hives). as you suggested Lee there are existing bees in the US that do have some genetics that originate from Africa. there are lots of different kinds of honeybees that originated in Africa.
and to Chip.... one of my wife's university professor acquaintance's uncle was the first human casualty of africanized bees in Texas.
-
Some bees that tested to be AHB killed a man about 10 miles from my ranch. Last year a hive of bees that attacked some school children in De Leon, TX tested to be AHB. We definitely have some AHB genetics in our area. The one characteristic I have noticed in the few instances of AHB attacks is that they attack without being provoked. The fellow that got lost his life to them was mowing around an outbuilding with a lawn tractor when he was attacked. He was 30 feet from their hive. The school kids that were attacked were walking under a "bee tree" when attacked. The bee hive was 26 feet above ground. It appears that AHB's have a much shorter fuse.
Clint Weaver is at least a fourth generation beekeeper in the Bweaver Apiaries in Navasota, Texas. He emphasizes keeping your smoker well lit at all times. If one bee stings you, slow up and use more smoke. I think he is correct because if one bee stings you the pheromone is in the air. If more and more bees sting you are try to sting you and lose their stingers in your clothing it becomes what we engineers refer to as an "exponential" event and the pheromones increase accordingly. In my opinion, when the bees become too aggressive it is better to pack up and come back another day.
This is based on my limited knowledge and has no basis in fact.
lazy
-
...This is based on my limited knowledge and has no basis in fact.
lazy
I don't know for sure Lazy, but the bees you describe at your old place might qualify. ;)
-
Lee:
I don't know for sure either, but I believe those bees have some AHB genes.
-
and to Chip.... one of my wife's university professor acquaintance's uncle was the first human casualty of africanized bees in Texas.
Six degrees of Kevin Bacon?
And you did it in five!