Q&A for How to Identify Africanized Honey Bees

Visually, the average person will not be able to distinguish between Africanized and domestic honey bees. There are approximately 20 morphological distinctions that you can see with a powerful microscope, such as wing veination pattern and a slightly smaller body length, but DNA testing is best for a conclusive distinction.

Generally, yes. However, bee genetics are very mixed up in the US, since hobbyists have brought bees from many areas - Russia, Europe, etc. Even within one hive, you will have bees with more stripes than others. They can be black, gold, or anything in between.

No, I have several AHB hives on my property and I have been stung many times. However, they only attack when I unsuspectingly run over the top of their nest with a lawnmower. I can walk by or even step on the opening of the inground nest and they do not attack. But the vibration caused by both my riding tractor mower and walk behind mower is perceived as a major threat to the hive and they will attack ruthlessly. Interestingly enough, they will flyby a person that did not cause the infraction on their hive and will continue to sting the person who did it. From what I understand, they sting and leave a beacon in the person that disturbed the hive for other bees to target.

The sting does not hurt worse than European honey bees.

Absolutely. Even the common European honey bee can kill someone with enough stings or if the person is very allergic to the venom. This threat is increased with African honey bees because they tend to be so much more aggressive and can sting many more times than the average bee. Therefore, if someone who is sensitive to bee venom is stung many times by an aggressive swarm, they are very much in need of medical help.

Yes. With the international decline of honey bees, bee keeping is becoming a popular past time alongside gardening in both rural and urban environments. While only a few instances have been recorded, some sellers have been found selling AHBs or AHB queens which can produce AHBs and change the attitude of a formerly friendly hive. It is advisable that you verify with your seller as to whether the bees you intend to buy are AHB, as they can be extremely dangerous.

No, honey bees only nest in open cavities and will not create a hole for their nest in an object like mulch.

It was actual a man-made genetic alteration of the common European honey bee. In the late 1950s, a Brazilian scientist, Dr. Warwick Kerr, was concerned with the poor performance of European honey bees in the region. He bred African stock into the bees to get their hardiness, without understanding the aggression. The bees of his lab then escaped their quarantine and unexpectedly swarmed. Gradually over time the population expanded and moved further north until it reached the United States.

No, the bees have not reached Europe yet. They are still mostly in Central and South America.

Cut soft, ripe pears or mangoes into chunks and place them into an open sandwich bag. Place this bag 15 to 20 feet away from the hive. After a few days, move the bait a few feet further away from the hive. Continue this process until the bees stop visiting the original location and have set up a new hive closer to the bag.

Yes, African honey bees will definitely be attracted to your hummingbird feeder.

In cases where the bees have made a nest within a wall cavity in a home, it can be nearly impossible to remove them without tearing open the wall. What you can do is use caulk or expanding foam to close their entrance point. The bees will either find a new egress point or die within the wall cavity. If you notice them leaving from a new location, seal that one as well. Continue this process until you no longer see the bees. The bees will die and dry out. They won't smell or cause any damage. The honey in the nest won't go bad, so no issues with smell or damage there either. Obviously, the best case scenario would be to open the wall and completely remove the bees. But this works.

It all depends on the circumstance. Bees go into a stage called "torpor" in winter, which means they are not truly hibernating and can be easily awakened. If you remove the nest and bring it inside of a car or other building, the bees would more than likely wake up and attack. You should always call a professional exterminator to deal with any sort of hive; they have professional equipment and are less likely to cause a bigger issue.

Yes, Africanized honey bees like to nest in open areas and in the ground, whereas European honey bees will nest above ground in more protected area, such as an old shed or an overhang.