California's Killer Bees Are Spreading North

by Elizabeth Palermo, Associate Editor | September 11, 2015 02:56pm ET

Bad news for apiphobes: "Killer" bees are on the move in the United States.

Scientists from the University of California, San Diego recently collected hundreds of bees around the Golden State to determine how far north hybrid honeybees, or Africanized bees, have spread since they first arrived in the state in 1994.

They found that Africanized bees — which possess genes from both European and African honeybees — now live as far north as California's delta region (about 25 miles, or 40 kilometers, south of Sacramento). And in the southern part of the state, so-called "killer" bees run the show. About 65 percent of the honeybeesthat buzz around San Diego County have a mix of European and African genes, the researchers found. 

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Africanized bees in Fort Myers being moved

FORT MYERS, FL -

There's something abuzz off of McGregor Boulevard tonight. Most of it taking place up a tree behind a house.

A sign called it to our attention. It warns of Africanized bees, also known as killer bees.

High above this dying banyan tree something is swarming.

"They found a hole, probably a woodpeckers hole to go inside the tree and they made their own hive," said David Gatley, David's Bee Haven.

Bees abuzzin' are normally a good sign for Anne Tipton.

"I like honey, and I want to attract them," Tipton said.

But licensed beekeeper Gatley warns not these bees.

"They will actually boil out of the hive and attack people, dogs, anything," Gatley said.

Gatley says unlike their European counterparts, the Africanized bee also called the killer bee is ruthless.

"The threat is within feet, you don't have to go right up to the hive," he said.

The homeowner says he was never bothered by the bees, but because the tree could fall at any moment he called in the experts.

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Killer bees kill mother of 8 in Guyana

A mother of eight has died in the South American country of Guyana after she was attacked by a swarm of Africanized bees.

Police said Friday that 47-year-old Munia Sanchara was attacked while picking mangoes from a tree at her house in the coastal community of Cane Grove. Police said she was declared dead after arriving at a hospital in the capital of Georgetown.

Guyana has reported several fatal bee attacks in recent years.

Africanized bees from South Africa were introduced to Brazil in the late 1950s for a crossbreeding program and some accidentally were let loose.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Killer-bees-kill-mother-of-8-in-Guyana/tabid/1160/articleID/244212/Default.aspx