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Thursday, December 1, 2005
'Killer' Bees Arrive
By Beth Hahn
Mountain View Telegraph
Torrance County has been confirmed as the latest area in New Mexico to become home to Africanized honeybees, also known as "killer bees."
Carol Sutherland, an extension entomologist with New Mexico State University, said Monday that tests proved a swarm of bees found between Estancia and Tajique in November are indeed Africanized honeybees.
Torrance County Extension Office agricultural agent Gene Winn said the case is the first official incident of Africanized honeybees in the county.
The bees have been steadily migrating north in the state since they first appeared in Hidalgo County in 1993, Sutherland said.
In 2005, Chavez, Curry, Roosevelt and Santa Fe counties also had confirmed cases of Africanized bees.
Sutherland said most counties from Santa Fe County south have had at least one confirmed incident of Africanized bees. Only the northern counties have yet to confirm colonies, although both Sutherland and Winn said the bees have probably already spread through most of the state.
Winn said the discovery is nothing to be alarmed about.
"People just need to be aware of it," he said Monday. "There's nothing to panic about, people just need to know that the bees are here."
Although similar in appearance, Sutherland said Africanized bees are more aggressive and unpredictable than their European counterparts.
Africanized bees also swarm at unusual times of the year, she said.
"European honeybees usually swarm in the spring," she said. "But Africanized bees will swarm in the spring, fall or winter."
Three weeks ago, a Torrance County man noticed a strange swarm of bees near his neighbor's woodpile. Sutherland said some of the bees landed on the man's porch and he swept them into a cardboard box.
A sample of the oddly behaving bees was sent to the Torrance County Extension Office and then on to NMSU, where lab tests confirmed that the bees are the aggressive Africanized breed.
Africanized bees are usually associated with horror stories of swarms that attack people or animals and sting relentlessly, sometimes even causing death, said Sutherland.
However, a sharp eye and attention to detail can save residents from a painful encounter with the aggressive bees.
Sutherland said the best way to notice the Africanized bees is to pay attention to everyday surroundings. If there is an unusual increase in bee activity or if bees appear in areas where they previously had not, this could be a sign of an Africanized invasion, she said.
Africanized bees usually take up residence in chimneys, woodpiles, utilities boxes or barns. Sutherland said this can be especially dangerous for livestock and pets who unintentionally disturb the bees and are attacked.
Sutherland said livestock and pets can die if they are unable to escape the swarming bees.
The best way to deal with Africanized bees, Winn said, is to leave them alone. But if the bees move into a home, barn or doghouse nearby, it is best to call the professionals, he said.
"Don't try to do it yourself," he said. "It may not be a problem, but what (people do) may cause a bigger problem."
Sutherland said "walling up" a colony, a la Edgar Allan Poe, will only cause the bees to become more creative in finding a way out "and you may not like the results."
When a colony has been boarded up, Sutherland said, Africanized bees have been known to chew through insulation in a house, crawl through light fixtures and swarm out of fireplaces.
"Don't think you're going to get off cheap or no problem at all," she said. "It's going to be a more complex problem than what a lot of people think."
Even when the colony is blocked off, Sutherland said the dead bees, residual wax and decaying honey will attract even more pests such as ants, wasps and other bees.
"It's best if you just leave it to professionals," she said.
Despite all the warnings, both Sutherland and Winn said the latest finding in Torrance County is no reason for residents to panic."It was going to happen sooner or later," said Winn. "It was just a matter of time before we had Africanized bees here."
Sutherland said the bees are adept at finding food sources and will live in one place until the food or water is depleted. The colony then moves on to another area.
Africanized bees are not affected much by the seasons or elevation, she added.
Winter is the best time to deal with the Africanized bees, because they move more slowly, said Sutherland. But just because it's cold outside doesn't mean the bees won't get steaming mad.
"They still swarm in the winter," she warned.
Although Africanized bees can be pesky and downright deadly, Winn said, not all bees are bad.
"Bees play an important function," he said. "They pollinate crops and flowers.
"We don't want people going crazy killing bees," Winn added.
The Torrance County Extension Office will answer questions and accept samples of questionable bees, Winn said.
For more information, contact the Extension Office at 246-4743.
What to do
Safety tips for dealing with Africanized "killer" bees:
Look for bees that show up in new places and are unusually aggressive or persistent.
Note any increase in bee activity near utility boxes, water meters, livestock pens and homes.
Do not try to control the bees yourself. Call a professional pest control company.
Do not try to "wall in" a bee colony. They will find a way out and the decaying hive can attract even more pests.
Check livestock pens and yards, chimneys and other cracks and crevices for beehives. Livestock and pets can be seriously injured or killed by Africanized bees.
If there is any suspicion that the bees may be the Africanized variety, the county extension office will accept samples and have them tested.
If you are stung and begin having difficulty breathing, are faint or dizzy or develop tunnel vision, go to a hospital emergency room immediately. These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction to bee venom that, left untreated, can be deadly.
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