Africanized Honey Bee

The Africanized honey bee is a honey bee population formed by the spontaneous hybridisation of the African Apis mellifera scutellata with honey bees of European origin in the Americas. It is not a separate species but a hybrid population of the familiar honey bee (Apis mellifera); its most striking difference is that it defends its nest at a much lower threshold and in much larger numbers. It does not occur in Türkiye, but it is an important lesson for beekeepers both on safety and on "where you get your queens from".

What is the Africanized honey bee, and is it a separate species?

No. The Africanized bee is the same species as the bee in our hives and mates with it freely. The word "Africanized" means that the genetic make-up of a colony is predominantly of African origin. The name killer bee, used by the public and the press, is not scientific and is exaggerated: these bees do not seek people out, they only defend their nests.

• Origin: A. m. scutellata, the native subspecies of the savannas of East and Southern Africa (see Sub-Saharan African honey bee subspecies).
• Range: most of South America, Central America, Mexico and the southern states of the USA.
• Venom: the venom of a single sting is no stronger than that of a European bee; what increases the danger is many bees stinging at once.

How did the Africanized bee come about?

In 1956, the Brazilian geneticist Warwick Kerr brought queens from Africa with the aim of developing a line more productive than European bees in the tropical climate, yet still manageable. In 1957, at the trial apiary in the state of São Paulo, when the queen excluders were removed, 26 swarms escaped into the wild together with their queens. Over the following decades, the descendants of these colonies:

1. spread across the Amazon basin in the 1970s,
2. reached Central America in 1982 and Mexico in 1985,
3. were seen in southern Texas in 1990 and settled in the southern states of the USA.

The rate of spread reached hundreds of kilometres a year. The reason is that the African bee swarms frequently and wild colonies multiply very quickly in tropical and subtropical climates. In regions with cool, long winters, the spread slowed markedly; its winter hardiness is limited.

Behavioural traits of the Africanized bee

What sets the Africanized bee apart from bees of European origin is not appearance but defensive and reproductive behaviour. These traits were selected on the African savanna under constant predator pressure and irregular forage.

• Low response threshold: vibration, noise (lawnmowers, generators), smells or walking past the hive entrance can set the colony off.
• Mass defence: far more guards and foragers join in the response; alarm pheromone spreads quickly.
• Long pursuit: it can chase an intruder for hundreds of metres; calming down can take hours.
• Frequent swarming: it can swarm several times a year; the swarms may be small.
• Abandoning the hive (migration, absconding): during a dearth, under frequent disturbance or with disease, the colony leaves the hive entirely.
• Flexible nest sites: it settles in small and unusual places such as holes in the ground, water meter boxes, tyres and wall cavities.
• Fast development: the time from egg to emergence of a worker is slightly shorter than in European bees; the colony grows quickly.

The positive side: the Brazilian experience

In the early years, honey production in Brazil fell sharply and many beekeepers gave up. Over time, beekeepers changed their methods: they moved apiaries away from settlements, spaced hives out and upgraded their protective equipment. Today, commercial beekeeping in Latin America is carried out largely with Africanized bees. The known advantages of these bees are:

• Adaptation to hot climates and resilience to breaks in forage,
• Better resistance to varroa: in many regions colonies can survive without treatment or with little treatment,
• High honey and pollen yields under suitable conditions,
• Strong hygienic behaviour and cleanliness.

How do you identify an Africanized bee?

A definite identification by eye is not possible. Africanized workers are on average slightly smaller, but this difference can only be detected by measurement. Methods used for identification:

• Morphometrics: wing and body measurements are taken on many bees and compared statistically.
• DNA tests: the proportion of African ancestry is determined from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA.
• Behavioural observation: response speed and pursuit distance give clues but are not proof on their own; there are bad-tempered European lines too.

Working safely where it occurs

1. Apiary site: choose a fenced-off area away from houses, roads, schools and animal shelters.
2. Full equipment: a bee-proof suit, gloves fastened at the wrists, a tightly sealed beekeeper's veil (mesh), and boots.
3. Don't work alone and plan your escape route in advance; if your vehicle is far away, head for an enclosed space. Jumping into water does not work; the bees wait at the surface.
4. Use plenty of cool smoke, slow your movements down and keep inspections short.
5. Choose the cooler hours; do not open hives on hot, windy days or when forage has stopped.
6. Requeening: reduce defensiveness in the hive by using queens from known, calm lines.
7. People with a known sting allergy should stay away from the apiary; after many stings, seek emergency medical help.

What it means for Türkiye: queen and colony movements

The Africanized bee does not occur in Türkiye and is not an imminent threat. But its story shows one truth: once genetic material has mixed into the wild, it cannot be taken back. With the Anatolian bee, the Caucasian bee and other local subspecies, Türkiye is an important honey bee genetic resource. Therefore:

• Imports of breeding material are regulated by the Beekeeping Regulation; bringing bees from outside into the isolated areas designated to protect genetic resources is prohibited.
• Buying queens, package bees or colonies of unknown origin carries the risk of both disease and unwanted genetics.
• Choosing local lines adapted to your region is often the safest and most productive route.