Latest news with #AfricanizedHoneybees
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Killer bees prompt response by Alabama officials as invasive swarms spotted across U.S.
Beekeepers in southeastern Alabama recently trapped a "feral swarm" of killer bees, according to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, the latest in a recent string of killer bee sightings across the U.S. Officials said the swarm was humanely euthanized to protect the state's honeybee populations, which, University of Georgia researchers note, can be threatened by this more aggressive bee subspecies. Killer bees, also called Africanized honeybees, are a notoriously dangerous breed known for their defensiveness, according to the Smithsonian Institution. Unlike most bees typically seen in the U.S., which are technically European honeybees, these killer bees became feared after attacking humans and animals in relatively large numbers. The Smithsonian writes in a description of killer bees on its website that the insects "have killed some 1,000 humans" since their introduction to the Americas in 1956, "with victims receiving ten times as many stings than from the European strain." In Alabama, the agricultural department said traps were set across a five-mile stretch of land near the site in Barbour County where beekeepers spotted the swarm. The department has also taken steps to establish targeted monitoring procedures in the area, to assess whether additional swarms are present. Officials said that was "a precautionary response," to protect pollinating honeybees as well as beekeepers. "There is no reason for public concern at this time, but we are treating this situation seriously," said Rick Pate, the commissioner of the agricultural department, in a statement. "Our team is actively collaborating with local beekeepers and entomology experts to ensure swift detection and appropriate response. Protecting both the health of our communities and Alabama's honeybee populations is our top priority." The department warned members of the public to avoid provoking any bee population suspected to contain killer bees, as they "may respond in greater numbers when disturbed" and "pursue perceived threats farther than European honeybees," potentially following them for up to a mile. In comparison, European honeybees have been known to stalk victims of an attack for up to a quarter of a mile. Alabama's discovery has followed a spate of killer bee sightings across the country. In the last three months alone, swarms in Texas attacked and killed one man, and led to three others being hospitalized after disturbing a colony, CBS News Miami reported. According to the news site AZ Family, a swarm chased a group of hikers for about a mile near the end of a trail in a Phoenix suburb, and each hiker required medical attention as a result. Killer bees have been spotted in 13 U.S. states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. South Florida has the highest number of them compared with any other state, according to CBS News Miami.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Las Vegas beekeeper's death drives call for safety
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Las Vegas beekeeper's death is causing his family to express caution about a bee that has put Nevada under quarantine. On May 10, Scott Stromme, 62, was found lying on the floor of his home, allegedly stung to death after possibly knocking over a container of bees. His father, Phillip Stromme, said he discovered Scott only after several attempts at calling him. '[I] went around the front door, opened that up, went in,' he said. 'And I knew right then he was in a place you don't want to be.' His son was cold to the touch and not moving, allegedly welled up from possible bee stings. Phillip said he saw his son's beekeeping hat was set to the side around hundreds of dead bees. 'I have no idea, and had to put two and two together,' Phillip said. Scott was a jack of all trades with a penchant for picking up a new talent at a quick pace and treating each job with an incredible amount of responsibility, according to Phillip. 'You have a job here, and a job there, and he started out working at the Rio in a shop there,' Phillip said. 'And he stood guard outside, but he looked like a guard at the palace in England with a tall hat.' Friends still call Scott's phone according to Phillip who said his daughter has broken the news to several of Scott's acquaintances, pals, and clients. 'My daughter's been getting an awful lot of phone calls on his phone,' he said. Phillip said it's heartbreaking what happened to his son and warned others should express caution when around certain types of bees. The State of Nevada has been under a quarantine for the Africanized Honeybees, according to state law, but that hasn't stopped trained beekeepers from answering the calls from concerned homeowners. 'So that [quarantine] means that they're more aggressive,' Daniel Millett, operations manager for Bee Master of Las Vegas, said. 'They respond with more bees than our domiciled, domestic bees that we've trained for 1200 or 1500 years to be nice and produce a lot of honey.' The Africanized Honeybees do not produce as much honey as their more well known and temperate counterparts, according to Millett. 'All these Africanized bees are buck wild,' he said. 'They think everything's a rhino or a hippo.' Millett found out about what happened to Stromme and said the incident was awful but also allowed for a chance to remind residents about the danger of certain types of bees. 'When this poor fellow started to work with his bees, whatever gear he had on, they overwhelmed him,' he said. 'And it's a darn shame that it happened.' Millett said residents with any concerns or issue with bees can find licensed beekeepers through the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
