Published: June 04, 2009 10:52 pm      

Honeybees – good and bad

When Sampson was courting Delilah he had to walk through the fields and woods on his way to the valley of Sorek to see her. In those days I suppose there was more wilderness than cities and encounters with dangerous wild animals during foot travel was predictable. One day as Sampson made his way to meet Delilah, a lion charged from the brush.

Sampson, being the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his day, grabbed the lion's top and bottom jaws, yanked them apart and tore the lion's head in two. This ended any ideas the lion had of dining on him and in fact caused the lion to expire on the spot. Sampson tossed the lion aside on the trail and resumed his journey.

A few days passed and again Sampson was drawn to visit Delilah via the same trail. When he came upon the dead lion he discovered a swarm of honey bees had settled into the carcass and had begun to make cone and honey. Sampson helped himself to some of the honey and probably took delight at his good luck in having a source of nourishing snacks for his future forays. What luck!

But this bonanza would turn on Sampson. He would later use this episode in a riddle with his enemies which would lead to much trouble for him.



Beware

 

There is a modern day sequel. Bees, which have been around for 50 million years, give or take a handful of centuries, provide us honey for our buttered biscuits while pollinating our crops and flowers. Outdoor persons sometimes come upon wild swarms and "robbing" them of some of their honey for the breakfast table has been as common as gigging frogs and picking blackberries. These endeavors satisfy our gathering instinct.

But, as they say, all good things come to an end. Our honey bees in this country are slowly becoming victims of genetics. Bees which evolved in Africa developed aggressive behavior characteristics in order to survive a harsh environment there. Some of these tough bees escaped from a scientist in South America who was experimenting. They mated with local honey bees, passing their temperament along to the offspring. We call these new bees "Africanized" honey bees. Movie makers call them killer bees.

The Africanized bee passed its characteristics to established honey bees throughout South and Central America, Mexico and eventually entered the U.S. in south Texas. This genetic change has moved rapidly west into California, the altered bees preferring dry terrain like that of their African homeland. Movement to the east has been slower than expected, but these altered bees will likely be found throughout the South and Southwest before they reach their ecological range. Isolated Africanized colonies could be found almost anywhere in the country at a given time due to movement by man or unusual extended weather conditions.

Just what are the characteristics of this new generation of honeybees which threaten people, their domestic animals and wildlife? Will clouds of savage bees the size of baseballs swoop down upon us and decimate our cities? No, but the news is not all that good either.



It’s on the Inside

 

Africanized colonies look no different from ordinary honey bee colonies. In fact each individual bee hasn’t changed its looks. Actually it is the same except for altered genetics. That is why they are called Africanized instead of African bees.

They are dangerous to humans and animals alike. When disturbed, these bees become extremely aggressive. Unlike domestic colonies of the European bees common to beekeepers and colonies found in the wilds in our past, Africanized bees will chase an intruder long distances, attacking and stinging unmercifully. The sting is the same as other honeybees; it’s just that Africanized colonies are unusually aggressive. Human deaths have occurred in Mexico and points south and some have even occurred in Texas.

The bottom line for outdoor enthusiasts is to leave any bees encountered in the wilds alone. In fact it is a good idea to leave any bee swarms anywhere alone. Call a local beekeeper to deal with bees that are in a location that is troublesome. He or she knows how to deal with bees and if they happen to have Africanized honeybee genetics in their numbers beekeepers are prepared to handle them.

Be advised that no Africanization of bee colonies has been reported in East Mississippi or West Alabama yet. But we never know when these dangerous bees will arrive here because their eastward movement is expected from established populations in Texas and some in Louisiana. Plus they can be moved on vehicles or by hurricane winds. This warning is intended to prepare outdoors enthusiasts ahead of time for what will be a serious threat when these altered bees arrive in our area.