"Killer Bees" is a term used by the media to depict a monster. The scientific name for them is Apis Mellifeara Scutellata, but they are commonly known as Africanized honey bees. They are the hybrid result of African honey bees mating with European honey bees. The distinction between the two can only be made by measurements under a microscope or by checking DNA. The main difference that scares many and gives it the name killer bee is it's more aggressive and defensive behavior. Experts say that typically if your were to kick the hive of a European honey bee then you would get about 30 stings, while if it were the hive of an African honey bee you should expect over 1,000 stings. Scientists think that the reason Africanized bees attack in larger number is related to their sting. Once the Africanized honey bee stings you it leaves behind pheromones that attract large numbers of nest mates. .
Africanized honey bees are not just quick to become angry, but they stay angry. Once a have has been agitated it will stay mad for a full day. The bees will attack people and animals for up to one quarter of a mile from the nest. The Africanized bees kill about 100 people a year, amounting in thousands since their escape in the 1950's. Not just humans, but many livestock and pets are also killed which can be a big financial burden to small farmers. .
The Africanized bees are likely to be more common then European bees, because they nest in places European bees do not. African bees will nest in small cavities near the ground like water meter boxes or overturned flower pots. .
The Africanized honey bee was not always in the Americas. To be exact it was not here until 1956. Warwick Kerr a professor at Brazil's University of San Pablo was trying to make a pollinator that is adapted to tropical environments like the African honey bee, but was mild mannered like the European honey bee. Before the experiments could be completed 26 African queen bees escaped.
