“Killer bees” or Africanized honey bees (“AHB”) (Apis mellifera scutellata) are not just in the minds of Hollywood horror film directors. They are real and they are in Texas but let’s clear up a misconception about AHB - Africanized honey bees do not fly out in massive swarms randomly hunting down and attacking victims while stinging and killing everything in their path.
AHB look just like English honey bees (“EHB”) (Apis m. mellifera). Their venom is no stronger than that of an EHB. The difference is that AHB are more aggressive and swarm more frequently then EHB; thus AHB come in contact with people more often than do EHB. AHB also differ from EHB in that they respond more quickly to threats and more bees sting, they can sense a threat from people or animals 50 feet or more from their nest, sense vibrations from power equipment 100 feet or more from their nest, may pursue a victim 1/4 to 1/2 mile, remain agitated for an hour or more after an attack, swarm frequently to establish new nests, nest in smaller cavities and sheltered areas, and move their entire colony readily if food is scarce. It is true that people can, and have, died from AHB attacks. The USDA suggests allowing at least 100 feet, or the width of a four-lane highway, between you and an AHB bee hive. USDA advises immediately moving away from any kind of beehive.
The common denominator of the two AHB attacks on Dogwood Ranch was the mower. Soon after acquisition of the first parcel of land, we bought a John Deer riding mower to keep approximately three acres of the civilized area mowed. We refer to the John Deer as the “tractor” but it is really the biggest riding-mower you could buy at the time without going up to the true tractor category. Both AHB attacks occurred when the mower passed close to a tree in which the bees had set-up housekeeping. The first attack in 2003 was next to a mulberry tree growing along the creek. The second attack occurred under a dogwood tree but the bees were probably in a large oak tree nearby. We never located the hive. We have since located a hive in an oak tree on a neighbor’s property and got their permission to kill the hive, which we did. Unfortunately, a new hive has now moved in so we are extra cautious in that area and do not mow the grass nearby.
After the first attack, which resulted in six or seven stings causing my spouses arm to swelled-up and look like Popeye’s arms after eating a can of spinach, we had the hive eradicated. This was a job we did not tackle ourselves because of the danger and because the chemicals needed for the job are only available to those with a chemical license. We call the Terminex office in Bryan College Station to come out the poison the hive. We have since filled the cavity in the tree.
A good description of what do if attacked by AHB is included on the Oklahoma State University. Because it truly reduce the number of stings and perhaps save a life (and we wish we had known this when the two AHB attacks occurred on Dogwood Ranch), I copy the advice here verbatim:
“• RUN away as fast as possible! Do not try to retrieve your belongings and do not try to stand still in an attempt to fool the bees. The more you flail your arms, the madder they will get. Get indoors or in a car as fast as possible. If you can't get indoors, keep running. A bee can obtain speeds of from 12 to 15 miles per hour, but most healthy humans can outrun them. They will usually follow you for several hundred feet but Africanized honey bees have been known to follow people for more than a quarter mile.
• Almost all cases of Africanized honey bee attacks can be traced back to some provocation, such as some noise or vibration, i.e. a lawn mower, weed eater, or tractor.
• Any covering for your body, and especially for your head and face will help you escape. People who have been attacked say the worst part is having the bees sting your face and eyes. Any impairment of your vision will also make it more difficult to escape. If you do not happen to have a net with you, grab a blanket, a coat, a towel, anything that will give you momentary relief while you look for an avenue of escape. The covering device is not going to protect you for long. The idea is to use it to help you get away. If you have nothing else, pull your shirt up over your face. The stings you may get on your chest and abdomen are far less serious than those to the facial area” http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ahb/
If you are stung, remove stingers as quickly as possible. After the bee stings, it dies but it leaves its stinger in the victim. The venom sac still has its nerves and muscles attached and will continue to pump venom into the victim for a minute, maybe more. Removing the victim’s outer layer of clothes may help because stingers stuck through the fabric should come off with the clothes.
To remove the stingers, gently scrape them away with a fingernail. If you don’t have a good fingernail, use a credit card, a stiff piece of paper or other similar device. Do not pinch the area, tweeze or attempt to pull out stingers, as this will cause what venom is left in the sacs to push into the victim.
We fully understand the importance of honey bees not just for the production of honey, but to food production and the agricultural business in general. It certainly is not our intent to scour the woods of the entire ranch the kill every hive we find. We have more information today then we did in 2003 to help reduce our chances of aggrevating these bees. However, if their hive is in a location where humans work and play at Dogwood Ranch, we cannot take the chance of another attack and someone being seriously injured.
Map of AHB spread into the Texas
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=6
No comments:
Post a Comment