Story on Florida "Killer Bees"

[newbee 101]

Here we go...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-killerbees-jan28,0,1875683.story?coll=sns-ap-football-headlines&track=mostemailedlink

[ January 29, 2006, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: newbee 101 ]

[Jeff McGuire]

Interesting article I guess they will eventually be everywhere even up our way

[Trevor Mansell]

The media sure does love to hype things up.

[BjornBee]

Seems most of the "fear" comments and hype came directly from beekeepers, state apiarists and bee removal experts. "grusome way to die" "horrific", etc.

Perhaps some PR and media interaction training would be in order.

[peggjam]

"In St. Lucie County, thousands of bees nesting below ground near water meters swarmed onto unlucky utility workers late last year, though not fatally."

Didn't think honeybees nested in the ground?? Looks like anybody who gets stung from now on, it will be blamed on AHB.

[BjornBee]

They do have water meters and other utilities in large conduit and service panel boxes, located under ground, or at ground level. AHB's will nest in many hive locations that normal bees will not. And they also pick much smaller cavities.

[Joel]

So the bee removal guy WANTS everyone to be scared.

And so it begins!

[Bob Harrison]

I just returned from Florida and am doing an article for the American Bee Journal on the south Florida AHB problem with the latest information.
Will be in either the March of April issue. Way too much information to put on the list and I am a month behind on my beekeeping business. Loading bees for almonds Tuesday.

[Bob Harrison]

Trevor,
I asked Horace and he said you were a friend.

[Tomas]

Down here in Honduras you can find many feral nests in the ground. I've seen a swarm move into the underground valve box for the water. I've also seen hives in the spaces underground that are left between big rocks.

I've also seen ahbs make a nest out in the open. One was inside a bush that was pretty much covered with vines. Another was in the corner of a room in an abandoned house. Some swarms that take a while to find their new nest might leave a small comb behind.They like the cavities in old tires.

----------
Tom

[TwT]

if everyone is scared of the AHB's, the removal guys can charge alot more, I know when they get here, I will charge alot more..... become's a hazardous job then... so some say,,,, Tomas, its been a while since I seen you on here, Tomas has ahb's and has learn to deal with and keep them.

[Michael Bush]

>Seems most of the "fear" comments and hype came directly from beekeepers, state apiarists and bee removal experts. "grusome way to die" "horrific", etc.

I wondered about that too. While I'm sure he said other things that were less inflammatory, it would have been nice if he'd avoided that.

You'll also notice that ALL the bees in ALL the hives were destroyed by the state without because a FEW tested positive without any recourse for the owner to contest the results.

[Bob Harrison]

Eventually U.S. beekeepers will accept the fact AHB is here and on the move again. The hype about AHB not being able to winter in the north a myth.
Small swarms and late swarms will not be able to of course but with winters getting milder ( we have had the warmest january on record this year in Missouri) AHb is moving north.
The bee labs from overwintered samples have got proof they can overwinter.
AHB genetics are far morre widespread than is believed.
I was given information in Florida confirming the widespread nature of the problem.
The solution is simple:
You keep close watch on your bees and eliminate aggressive bees. It does not matter if tests show the bees are AHB. The wall is lined in Florida with bottles of samples to be tested for AHB. Eventually beekeepers will do like Texas and simply handle the problem!
Crying, complaining, pointing the finger only makes the problem worse.

[beemandan]

On an aside, I removed a colony from an inground water meter/cutoff box last spring. I'm pretty sure that they were Europeans...so given the right conditions even they will colonize underground. In this particular instance they were pretty well established..the meter hadn't been read in quite a while.

[chief]

I also did a removal from a water meter/cutoff box last summer. They were meaner than most of my other European bees but my Dad and some neighbors watched from 30-40 yards away at times without getting stung. I doubt if they were AHB's that no one would have been stung. A few of them got bumped but no one was stung exept for of course me.