Killer Bees Living in New Orleans

New Orleans is abuzz, but for all the wrong reasons. According to a scientific report, killer bees have now landed en mass in New Orleans, Louisiana. There were reports as early as 2005 that the killer bees, also known as Africanized honeybees, were found in the area. But up until now, none of the killer bees had established a home.

The discovery was made after a few samples were taken by the Agriculture and Forestry department of New Orleans. They found a positive sample of bee establishment near St. Bernard Parish, where a trap was laid for the bees about 5 miles upstream along the Mississippi river.

Bob Odom, the commissioner of the Agriculture and Forestry Department, stated that they could not identify the exact source of the bees. "The proximity of this find indicates the bees could be a swarm from that colony or could be from a ship or barge passing by on the river," he said. The first ones in the New Orleans area were found in January of this year. They were living in a home that was condemned from Hurricane Katrina damage and was about to be knocked down.

Louisiana first made discoveries of the bees in July of 2005. Samples were taken from a swarm near Rodessa in Caddo Parish. They sent the samples to a bee lab in Tucson, Arizona, where they were confirmed to be killer bees. Based on those samples and more recent ones, the killer bees appear to be moving east across the state. Some have been discovered near Pecan Island and Turkey Creek.

The Department will continue to keep traps along deepwater ports. The traps will help them figure out what path the killer bees are taking throughout the state. So far, 40 samples were taken in the New Orleans district; 5 were sent to the USDA to be confirmed as killer bees. One turned out positive, three were negative and another is pending results.

The main difference between killer bees and normal European bees is in the size and ferocity. "Because Africanized bees have been labeled 'killer bees' for years, there's an idea around that they are bigger than European honeybees," Odom said. "The truth is they're actually smaller but a lot fiercer."

Although the venom is the same in the two varieties, killer bees tend to be more aggressive and attack in large numbers. The results of such attacks can cause toxic reactions inside people. It is suggested that, like with most bee attacks, try to seek cover.

Source:

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

URL:

http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/aboutldaf/presscenter/pressreleases/pressrelease.asp?id=611