Killer Bees Come to the Central Coast

According to The Tribune, Africanized bees (so called Killer Bees) have come home to roost in the South County. Some folks down here prefer to be called Rural Arroyo Grandites, rather than identify with Nipomo; however, that in and of itself is another post alltogether. The Tribune notes:

An infestation of Africanized bees, a dangerous form of honeybee, has been found in rural Arroyo Grande.

It is the county's first infestation of the bees, which look identical to European bees but are much more aggressive in protecting their hives and will more readily sting people who disturb them.

In cooperation with county officials, the beekeeper of the affected hive has taken steps to eradicate the infestation. Those steps include reducing the hive population, killing the next generation of bees and introducing a European queen bee to the hive.

Unfortunatately, or maybe fortunately, we don't really know exactly where the infestation is. According to the Tribune report, the bee keeper wants to remain anonymous; however, it is uncertain how the bees actually feel about that.

Interestingly, though, the "Killer Bee" isn't really a killer at all--it's just more agressive. The Tribune noted:

The sting of an Africanized bee is no more venomous than that of a European bee, and each bee is capable of stinging only once. But their aggressive defense of the hive makes them much more dangerous.

They guard a larger area around their hives; furthermore, they will swarm faster and in larger numbers than European bees if provoked, and will chase an intruder as far as a quarter of a mile away from the hive, so someone swarmed by Africanized bees is much more likely to be stung repeatedly.

I suspect, though that with enough of repeated stings from enough "killer bees" they may just be killer. Let's hope we don't have to find out from first hand experience on the Central Coast.

These killer bees have migrated from South America, starting in 1956, traveling about 200 miles northward each year. San Luis Obispo County is surrounded by counties with similar infestations, including Santa Barbara and Kern Counties. So, officials are thinking there will be other future infestations here on the central coast.

If killer bees follow demographic patterns like their human counterparts, we can certainly expect the infestation from Southern California to continue for the foreseeable future.