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Geography 111, Section 002Lab # 9 – April 23, 2010
Steve ZwolinskiEirik GuloienAaron Dodson
Brian Hall
Invasive Species: The Killer Bee
(Apis mellifera scutellata)
Basic information (species, range, life history)Invasive characteristicsSome maps to look atWhere has it affected us?The Effects of The Killer Bee Management
The Killer Bee
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pdep/target_pest_disease_profiles/ahb_profile.html
Killer Bee also known as the Africanized honeybee
Latin name: Apis mellifera scutellata
Range: Imported from Africa in the
1950’s to South AmericaBegan to creep up the coast
in the 1980’s towards N. America
Found in Texas in 1990, now in California, 5 other states
A Quick Bee-Bio: Basic Information
http://www.genome.gov/Images/press_photos/highres/76-300.jpg
Cross-bred between European honeybees and African honeybees
Lives mostly in the tropics of South America, especially in the rainforests of Brazil
Rapidly populating the southern United States (especially in the past 20 years)
Comb Sweet Comb: Native Lands
Africanized Honeybee Spread http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=6
Scout bees go ahead of queen to find new home
Queen broods offspring, leaves comb in “swarm” every 12 months
May find a new hive, leaving younger queen at current comb
Much more likely to swarm vs. European honeybees
Usually takes a smaller area (old tires, overturned pots, house eaves) than EHB
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=2
Bee All You Can Bee: AHB Life History
Mode of entry into invasive rangeAccidentally released in 1957 in Brazil.Attempted to breed a strain of bee that would
produce more honey and be better adapted to tropical conditions (more productive) than the European bees used in South America and southern North America.
African queens eventually mated with local drones.
DistributionAs of 2002, the African honeybees had spread
from Brazil south to northern Argentina and north to South and Central America, Trinidad (West Indies), Mexico, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida and southern California.
Invaded BiomesTropicalSubtropicalArid/ DryDesertSavanna
Limiting factorsCannot survive extended periods of forage
deprivation, preventing introduction into areas with harsh winters or extremely dry late summers.
More likely to migrate as part of a seasonal response to lowered food supply.
More likely to relocate in response to stress.
Well Suited for Most Climates (Hot, Cold, Dry, Wet, Etc.)
Thrives on High ResourcesFrequent Swarming and New Colony
Development Fast Colony FormationWorkers Search Farther and Longer Efficient Use of Resources – Minimal
Honey Can Survive on Minimal Amount of
Food and Resources if Needed
Good Invader or Perfect Invader?
Ojar, Christina. "Killer Bees." Columbia University in the City of New York. ColumbiaUniversity, 1 Mar. 2002. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Apis_mellifera_scutellata.htm>.
Africanized Honeybee is Very AggressiveAttack When Unprovoked with More Bees
and a Higher Number of StingsSense Threats from 50+ Feet AwayKnown to Follow Threats up to a ¼ Mile
Away!
Epitome of the American Dream – Hard Work Equals Success!
Aggression – The Key to Success
Ojar, Christina. "Killer Bees." Columbia University in the City of New York. ColumbiaUniversity, 1 Mar. 2002. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Apis_mellifera_scutellata.htm>.
Out competes other beesTakes over pollination and
bumps out honey production of other bees
Bad for economiesLowers honey production in
the marketDangerous – Has killed over
1000 people since its introduction
Are They Really That Bad?
Ojar, Christina. "Killer Bees." Columbia University in the City of New York. ColumbiaUniversity, 1 Mar. 2002. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Apis_mellifera_scutellata.htm>.
It’s Hard Working Nature Makes Wide Spread Pollination of Wide Variety of Plants Including Crops
Plants Don’t Discriminate Over Who Pollinates Them
Okay, It’s Bad… but Not Always
Ojar, Christina. "Killer Bees." Columbia University in the City of New York. ColumbiaUniversity, 1 Mar. 2002. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Apis_mellifera_scutellata.htm>.
Specialists agree that honey bees are economically and environmentally important and can not just be wiped out…..soHoney bee monitoring programs have been set
upThe programs:
Are good indicators of how well the flowering plants and the ecosystem health is doing
How do we attempt to control these things?
http://www.greatsunflower.org/files/images/dark_honey_bee_hemberger.jpg
Ojar, Christina. “Africanized Honey Bee.” Introduced Species Summary Project. 1 March 2002. Web. 16 April 2010. <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff- burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/ Apis_mellifera_scutellata.htm>.
http://www.bogoboo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Bee.jpg
Drone FloodingBeekeepers put less aggressive European
Honey Bees in areas where African drone bees are usually present.
Re-QueeningBeekeeper replaces queen of the colony with
the European BeeYields less aggressive bees that still pollinate
Get rid of wild bee nests so that the managed ones will have less competition
Other ways of control
Ojar, Christina. “Africanized Honey Bee.” Introduced Species Summary Project. 1 March 2002. Web. 16 April 2010. <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff- burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/ Apis_mellifera_scutellata.htm>.
Also
The public needs to be made aware of the threat of killer bees and know how to properly deal with them:Telephone numbers of professionals, etc
Know precautions to take in case of a bee sting
Fun Fact: At least one meal a day per person is made possible because of the bee, so they are not just pests.
More efforts needed?
http://images.clipartof.com/small/85294-Royalty-Free-RF-Clipart-Illustration-Of-A-Friendly-Cute-Bee-Waving-And-Flying.jpg
Ojar, Christina. “Africanized Honey Bee.” Introduced Species Summary Project. 1 March 2002. Web. 16 April 2010. <http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff- burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/ Apis_mellifera_scutellata.htm>.