In 1952, 26 Africanized bees escaped from Brazil and made their way north at a speed of one mile a day. In 1985 they hit California, and by 1994 they had arrived in Tucson. Within three years almost 90 percent of the honeybee population in Arizona was Africanized because of crossbreeding. The queen Africanized bee can lay as many as 1,500 eggs a day.
Festus Kahn, local exterminator for A.S.K. Pest Control says, “Africanized bees—killer bees as they are known—do not roam the countryside looking for people to attack. While it is true that they are more dangerous because they are more easily provoked, quicker to attack in greater numbers, and then pursue the perceived threat farther, it is always in defense of their hive.”
Africanized bees are often found near canals, drainage ditches, and retention basins because they like to be near water. When they sense rain, they swarm. Kahn responds to more than 30 calls a year from homeowners in Patagonia, Sonoita, and elsewhere in the county concerning killer bees on their property. Residents can “bee proof” their property by eliminating possible nesting sites. This includes removing debris from the area and closing off wall, chimney, electrical, and plumbing gaps in structures.
When Kahn has to come to a house or school to remove a beehive, he has three choices of action. He can blow smoke into the hive. (The bees think that there is a fire, and they will eat all of the honey in case they need to move the hive; when bees are busy eating they won’t sting you.) Or he can set off a fogger, whose fumes will cause the bees to die. Finally, if the hive is outside, he will simply cover the swarm with a plastic bag, close it off, and let them go somewhere else.
In defense of the bees, most people appreciate the main product of the hive—honey. The honey industry is a $140 million per year industry. But the bees are also very important to Arizona agriculture, a business that impacts the state’s economy by about $6.3 billion a year. In fact, one-third of our daily diet comes from crops pollinated by bees. Without the pollen that bees transport, many plants can’t produce fruits, vegetables, and seeds.
Kahn reports that, on average, only two people a year die from killer bee stings. But he still warns people not to try and eliminate the bees themselves. He says, “Call a professional.”