Africanized bees

Africanized honey bees (AHBs)

Africanized honey bees are often referred to as "killer bees" due to their extremely defensive behavior, are a notable example of the impact of hybridization on animal behavior and ecology. Africanized bees are the result of crossbreeding between the African honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata) brought to Brazil in the 1950s and European honey bees (Apis Mellifera ligustica or Apis Mellifera mellifera) brought to the new world in the 1600s. This crossbreeding was initially accidental but has led to a widespread population of hybrid bees with a variety of traits.

Behavior and Adaptation

  • Survival Skills: AHBs are highly adaptable and excellent survivors. They have a strong foraging behavior and can exploit resources more effectively than many European honey bees (EHBs). This makes them very successful in a variety of environments, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.

  • Colony Defense: Africanized bees are known for their readiness to defend their hive with little provocation. They may chase a perceived threat for over a mile, and their attacks can be sustained and severe.

  • Temperature Tolerance: While they thrive in warmer climates, AHBs do not fare well in colder temperatures, which has limited their spread into cooler regions.

Reproduction and Growth

  • Queen Competition: In the reproductive race, the Africanized queen has an advantage. She develops quickly and upon emergence, will seek out and destroy rival queen cells, ensuring her genes dominate the colony.

  • Colony Expansion: The frequent swarming behavior of AHBs facilitates rapid colony multiplication and territory expansion.

Impact on Ecology and Economy

  • Competition with Local Bees: AHBs can out-compete local EHBs for resources and nesting sites. This can impact the local ecology as well as the economy, affecting crop pollination and honey production.

  • Beekeeping Challenges: Due to their aggressive nature, AHBs present challenges for beekeepers, who may need to take extra precautions to manage them safely.

Management and Mitigation

  • Beekeeper Intervention: Skilled beekeepers can influence the behavior of local bee populations by introducing gentler European honey bees into the gene pool. This helps in diluting the aggressive traits of AHBs over time.

  • Public Education: Informing the public about how to behave around swarms and what to do if AHBs are encountered can help reduce negative incidents.

Despite their aggressive reputation, Africanized bees play a role in the ecosystem as pollinators. Their presence in an area requires adjustments in bee management practices and public awareness to ensure safety and harness their potential as pollinators. Beekeepers and researchers continue to study these bees to find ways to integrate them into the natural and agricultural environment without the risks associated with extremely defensive colonies.

Beekeepers who relocate honey bees have noted that the further wild colonies are from high densities of beekeepers, the more likely the colonies are to be aggressive. Beekeepers actively propagate drones without the genetic traits responsible for aggression. It is essential that properly trained beekeepers continue to keep colonies of European honey bees in regions Africanized honey bees have become established.