# Killer Bees



## BaB (Nov 17, 2010)

I have a friend in Florida, Fort Myers, and he said he would like to start some Honey Bee hives but is worried about all the Killer Bees in Florida, Is there really a Killer Bee problem in Florida?


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## Daddy'sBees (Jul 1, 2010)

Killer bees have been getting over-hyped the past few years. I mean really, how long does it take for the African aggressive gene pool to remain predominate? And they have reproduced how many times during this migration north? Think about their life cycle and the new drones any of these feral queen have breed with. Honestly, these bees(African orgin) ARE VERY DILUTED around here. I find very few feral cut-outs to be what I would call "HOT". It's mostly all hype, kinda like "man caused global warming". BTW, is it cold outside today where you are? So much for our man caused global warming! :scratch:


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## natalee (Jan 9, 2010)

There is a man that works for the Dept of AG in Florida. His name is Jerry Hayes. He is the most reliable source to ask a question like this. He was a guest speaker at our State meeting a couple of years ago. Google him. He is easy to find.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

I have a few students that drive up from Fort Myers and Naples. They have had hives for a couple years now. Fort Myers is not bad, Dade and Hillsborough counties have the highest incidence. I am teaching the Africanized blocks for Jerry Hayes at the next Florida Bee College.
Please have your friend get queens from a known European source. It is the Florida BMP to reduce the spread of AHB.
http://americasbeekeeper.com/Africanized Honeybees Biology and Behavior.htm
http://americasbeekeeper.com/Africanized Honeybees recommendations for the public.htm


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Personally, if he wants to start, he should start. 

If they go Africanised, he re-queens. End of problem.

But if he doesn't think he can do that (Africanised can be hard to requeen), kill all of them and install new bees.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

There is also a beekeeping group in Fort Myers that can help.
Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida

Officers Name Address Phone Number Email 
President Keith Councell 3004 El Dorado Blvd. N, Cape Coral, FL 33993 (239) 839-4479 [email protected] 
Vice-President Dennis Riggs 18581 S. River Rd., Alva, FL 33920-3637 (239) 728-3747 [email protected] 
Secretary/Tres 
Treasurer Virginia Riggs 18581 S. River Rd., Alva, FL 33920-3637 (239) 728-3747 [email protected] 
Board of Manager Rep. Bill Jones 1741 8th St., Naples, FL 34120 (239) 352-5566 [email protected] 
WEB Page http://swfbees.com/


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## Zonker (Mar 10, 2010)

Daddy'sBees said:


> BTW, is it cold outside today where you are? So much for our man caused global warming! :scratch:


Actually its unusually cold and unusually wet here, just like it was unusually hot and unusually dry here this summer. which is exactly what those evil scientist have been predicting, but they're also beginning to say that its too late so ... "So much for our man caused global warming!" :ws


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Daddy'sBees said:


> Killer bees have been getting over-hyped the past few years. I mean really, how long does it take for the African aggressive gene pool to remain predominate?
> 
> BTW, is it cold outside today where you are? So much for our man caused global warming! :scratch:


Seriously? How long? I believe the bees in Central America and Mexico (where there are or were more colonies per square mile in North America) are still Africanized. So you tell me?

One more time, say it with me now, WEATHER IS NOT CLIMATE!!

For furthewr discussion/argument on that topic, take it to Tailgater.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I know a lot of beekeepers in Florida who are capturing swarms and keeping bees and raising their own queens. If they get a hot one, they requeen. I've had hot bees from time to time, though, and they can be very intimidating, and dangerous. I would not tolerate them. If I was in Florida I would probably requeen the hot ones more meticulously, but no matter where you are I would not tolerate hot tempered bees.


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## LenInNorCal (Feb 28, 2009)

Broadsides From The Other Orders, by Sue Hubbell has a chapter called BRAVO BEES which are the so called "African bees". Seems that scientists originally called them Bravo bees because they were so hardy, prolific, and had extraordinary characteristics, some of which are not shared by their docile European cousins. We, up here, keep looking for more facile bees and we get them! Along with what goes with them, which may be a predisposition to pathogens, diseases, etc.
It seems Professor Roger Morse, Cornell U wrote of his experiences in a book called BEES AND BEEKEEPING, in which he recalls his friend and colleague, Professor Warwick Kerr, who had "issues" with the 1964 Brazilian gov't and the military takeover of that gov't. As Prof. Keerr had introduced the African bee into their area of the world in 1956, since all other bees in the warmer climes were dying off, he was working on the gov't's behalf prior and during the coup. He protested a couple of times from the start and was arrested, and again in 1969 when a Catholic nun was tortured, so from then on every single sting by any bug was blamed on him and his African bees by the state controlled press! Time Magazine picked up the language in 1965 and repeated the same stuff in 1968. He claim, and observation, was that the local beekeepers did have to learn new methods due to the new species, but once learned enjoy keeping such critters.
She alludes to some notion that such bees were introduced into Ozark at the end of the 1700 and are still happily feral in that region but have mostly bread with linguistica which can be easily handled by the likes of us.
Oh, and Ms. Hubble has some notion of what she writes as she was a commercial beekeeper in Missouri for over 20 years with over 2000 colonies.
And such bees will never make it up this far North in California, let alone the to the rarer airs of our wonderful Northern States.


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## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

I will deliver a Hive to your friend, If he gets me access to land to kill hogs on 
I will make sure the bees and good and If there is a Problem I'll send him another queen
I am serious and if knows anyone PM' me and we can work something out

Tommyt


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