Hobbies And Interests
Attack
Killer bees do not need a direct threat to their hive for a reason to attack in such great numbers. The bees will adversely react to such things as shiny jewelry, dark-colored clothes, loud noises and even the vibrations from a car going by. When a large number of bees sting one person, that person may suffer from a condition called anaphylactic shock. This biological condition, caused by the venom of the bee, precipitates a reaction in the person that results in an extreme loss of blood pressure.
Introduction
In 1957, some African honeybees escaped a Brazilian project that was trying to breed a superior bee for increasing honey production in that nation. These introduced African bees quickly mated with local honeybees and the resulting cross began a northward migration. The bees advanced at the rate of about 200 miles each year. In the process an estimated 1,000 people were stung to death in South and Central America as well as in Mexico.
History
Authorities captured a swarm of Africanized bees in a baited trap in October of 1990 near Hidalgo, Texas. The bees made their way into New Mexico and Arizona in 1993 and California a year later. The first attack in the United States blamed on these bees occurred in May 1991 when a person mowing his lawn in Brownsville, Texas was stung 18 times. The initial death from killer bees came in July of 1993 when over 40 stings killed a man attempting to eradicate a colony of these bees from his property.
Appearance
Killer bees are three-quarters of an inch long and have a fuzzy outer body. They are brown with a series of black stripes. Four wings attached to the bee's thorax are clear. The bee has a larger abdomen than thorax and a small head. These bees closely resemble a European honey bee but it requires an expert to tell the difference between the two species.
Tactics
An individual under attack by killer bees has a chance of outrunning them, as the bees are not swift fliers. If this is not possible, the person should run away in a straight line and attempt to protect her face. By running towards other people, the individual puts them in harm's way as well. Hiding underwater as depicted on television and in cartons is a futile effort, as the bees will swarm at the water's surface waiting for the person to reemerge. Killer bees will chase a person for as far as a quarter mile and remain in a highly agitated condition for 24 hours afterwards. Anyone that suspects they were the victim of a killer bee attack should rapidly seek medical attention.