January 6, 2006 - Learning to Live with Africanized Honey Bees in St. Lucie County

Last summer, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson stated, "It has become clear that the Africanized honey bee (AHB) population has grown and will continue to grow in Florida due to its numerous pathways into the state and the lack of effective eradication products or techniques." These insects have been found and identified within St. Lucie County. They nest in areas uncommon to the wild native honey bee or to the managed honey bee. They have been found in underground meter boxes, BBQ grills, empty containers, places and objects with holes, fences, old tires and abandoned or rarely used vehicles.

To address possible safety risks associated with the more defensive nature of the AHB and the unknowns related to how the hybrid bee will behave, the State of Florida is developing several outreach programs to educate the public on how to respond to possible bee attacks. The Department is working with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (IFAS) on response and control training for first responders and pest control operators, and developing an "Ag in the Classroom" curriculum on safety matters related to AHBs.

Concerns related to the increase of AHBs involve safety issues and impacts to our managed honey bee colonies which Florida agriculture depends on. Unlike European honey bees (EHBs), AHBs strongly defend their hives. If they feel threatened they will attack and pursue targets (people or animals) over long distances (up to ¼ mile or 3 football fields). AHBs swarm (leave the hive to reproduce) as many as 16 times per year, where EHBs swarm once or twice a year. Jerry Hayes, FDACS/DPI assistant chief of Apiary Inspection states, "We already live with risks of insect bites from fire ants, yellow jackets and other critters, and therefore need to be constantly aware of our surroundings."

In case of an attack by a swarm of defensive honey bees, emergency responders instruct people to run away from the bees by going inside a building or car. In all cases, report swarms of defensive bees to local pest control companies, 911 or the state's toll-free helpline number 888-397-1517.

For more information about the Africanized honey bee, visit the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website at http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/, the University of Florida fact sheet at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG113. Locally, the St. Lucie County Agriculture Extension Office offers educational training and additional information regarding precautions by contacting the office by phone at (772) 462-1660 or by e-mail at asn@ifas.ufl.edu or eask@ifas.ufl.edu.