Africanized Honey Bees
description
Transcript of Africanized Honey Bees
Africanized Honey BeesAfricanized Honey Bees
Do we need to be concerned!Do we need to be concerned!
Unknown artist’sScary vision of AfHB
Dewey M. Caron
OriginOriginOut of East Africa
Swarming into wild in Brazil
Changing American Beekeepers& Beekeeping
Native (Masai) harvest of rustic colonyIn tree – nightime w/ smoke & fire
Beekeeper contemplating AHB swarm capture
Beekeeper inspection of AHB colony in Panama Note: using jumbo smoker
Africanized bee spread in AmericasAfricanized bee spread in Americasfollowing introduction into Brazil (1957)following introduction into Brazil (1957)
Pacific coast of Peru/Ecuadordue to beekeepercolony movement
Numerous importations into Eastern ports - eliminated
X
Isolated introductions X by truck/rail/beekeeper - eliminated
X Maine blueberry pollinationsampling shows increase of AHB
XXXX
X
2005 Fl considered colonized
X ARX LA
X OKX AL
X 2005
Why is Africanized Bee (AHB) Why is Africanized Bee (AHB) sometimes called “killer bee”?sometimes called “killer bee”?“Killer” Bee is a media (TIME) term – Bee is highly defensive and stinging incidentsIncrease when it colonizes an area (newspaper account AZ & southern CA stinging increase)
Animal stinging “accidents” often preceed those with humanssee www.stingshield.com/ahb-index.htm for compilation of media stories
What is an Africanized Bee (AHB)?What is an Africanized Bee (AHB)?
A Honey Bee Populationw/ slight biological changes
AHB differences from EHB – swarm a lot, are frequently defensive, run on combs, rear workers in 19 days, queens in 15 ½ days, are slightly smaller bodied, early risers and not great dancers, - slight variations in biology familiar in European (temperate) bees (EHB).
Workers ‘running’ off comb
AHB prefer smaller nest cavities & build exposed nests more oftenThan temperate (European) bees
AHB
The Africanized bee is a PollinatorThe Africanized bee is a Pollinatorpapaya
But it is a more difficult bee to manage in planned pollination due to higher swarming /absconding/defensiveness
Melon pollination in
Costa Rica
The AHB is a better honey producer in The AHB is a better honey producer in tropical climates (compared to EHB)tropical climates (compared to EHB)
Tropical Honey Production
Higher elevation (less tropical) conditions in Bolivia
BUT Honey is a valuable medicineBUT Honey is a valuable medicinein 3in 3rdrd world rather than food world rather than food
Honey for saleIn a GuatamalanMarket
Note: you buy bottle or piece of combIn wax paper
The AHB is NOT a hybrid!The AHB is NOT a hybrid! It is essentially pure African but not easy to
ID in early stages of colonization
Shown is Tom Rinderer, USDA making morphometric measures of wings – mt DNA is a more reliable (but costly) method to determine AHB or EHB
Tropical vs Temperate honey bees Tropical vs Temperate honey bees
Temperate EHB in tropics
Selection factor – winter -- so raise more workersand store more honey to survive, swarming/
abandoning the nest less
● store more honey for winter● nest in well-insulated cavities● rear lg worker populations● only 1-3 swarms/year● rarely abandon nest
Tropical vs Temperate honey bees Tropical vs Temperate honey bees Tropical AHB in tropics
● smaller nests ● collect more pollen – less honey● higher reproduction (swarming)● abandon nests more● more defensive
Selective factor – predation -- so more quickly raise brood and reproduce. Defend more rapidly but also abandonnest to reestablish elsewhere
Challenges w/ AHBChallenges w/ AHBIt can be unpredictable!It can be unpredictable!
It can sting a lot – humans & animals have died
Exploding from colony as it is opened
Challenges w/ AHBChallenges w/ AHBNeed new locationsNeed new locations
Need to plan for defensivenessMust now isolate or conceal colonies w/ vegetative corral and move them away from people & animals
Challenges w/ AHBChallenges w/ AHBNeed to modify managementNeed to modify management
+ Keeping them home – must control swarming & absconding
They raise lots of brood – storeless honey
They run off combs when inspected
The major challengeThe major challengeRaising manageable stockRaising manageable stock
Not possibleto keep AHB & EHB in same apiary(EHB not competitive)
Queen finding &rearing is verydifficult with AHB
Where AHB colonize:
IN U.S. Do we have abetter chanceof keeping gentleEuropean stock?
So where has it colonized in US?So where has it colonized in US?
XXX
Source: ars.usda.gov/AHBmap
Not here ....YET!!! Not here ....YET!!!
It is a tropical/sub-tropical bee, not a desirable bee for temperate conditions…We do NOT know its eventual distribution within U.S.
What needs to be done?What needs to be done? Inform beekeepers, 1Inform beekeepers, 1stst responders, public responders, public Establish press relations Establish press relations (it will “hit” the press) (it will “hit” the press)
Survey for its presenceSurvey for its presence Revise bee lawsRevise bee laws Requeen colony ifRequeen colony if
defensivedefensiveKeep on Keep on
beekeeping beekeeping
Beekeepers are part of “solution” – not part of “problem”Beekeepers are part of “solution” – not part of “problem”
So in summary....So in summary....
AHB Honey Bee population has changed AHB Honey Bee population has changed the face of American beekeeping the face of American beekeeping
It is an excellent tropical/semi-tropical beeIt is an excellent tropical/semi-tropical bee
WHERE there is NO alternative!WHERE there is NO alternative!
Pre-AHB apiary
Where they have colonized they are superior competitors – you can’t successfully keep European bees side-by-side
GOOD NEWS!! In South American GOOD NEWS!! In South American higher elevations AHB is more higher elevations AHB is more
manageable!manageable!
They CAN adapt to severe winters...but do better in the south!
Bolivianapiary at 8500 ft
AND they are now a readyAND they are now a readyresource for rural campesinosresource for rural campesinos
USDA photo
A trappedAHB swarm/ abscond
- can be transferredto a hive or honey harvested from wild
So.... Will where will they be a So.... Will where will they be a factor in US Beekeeping???factor in US Beekeeping???
Primarily they are a TROPICAL/SEMI-TROPICAL
ADAPTED BEE
So the answer is....So the answer is....
YET