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.
