vayda on Nostr: 🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨 The African honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) was ...
🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨
The African honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) was introduced from the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa to the eucalyptus forests of São Paulo Brazil by Professor Warwick E. Kerr in 1956. Kerr described the colonies as “the most prolific, productive, and industrious bees.”
Nest usurpation is a form of parasitism where African swarms invade European colonies, replacing the queen and therefore eliminate the European maternal lineage. Unfortunately, nest usurpation is among the least understood aspects of the African bee invasion and it is unknown how African swarms find and invade a host colony. It is likely that unknown pheromones are involved in associating the condition of the colony; particularly susceptible colonies are queenless or have a caged queen, however queenright colonies can also be invaded.
Living with Africanized bees, where they exist, requires caution and diligence, but not alarm. Sensationalist news accounts of “killer bees” have mostly been over-blown, but the risk to unsuspecting or unwitting people and animals is still possible. Africanized bees will only sting to defend their nest.
The African honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) was introduced from the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa to the eucalyptus forests of São Paulo Brazil by Professor Warwick E. Kerr in 1956. Kerr described the colonies as “the most prolific, productive, and industrious bees.”
Nest usurpation is a form of parasitism where African swarms invade European colonies, replacing the queen and therefore eliminate the European maternal lineage. Unfortunately, nest usurpation is among the least understood aspects of the African bee invasion and it is unknown how African swarms find and invade a host colony. It is likely that unknown pheromones are involved in associating the condition of the colony; particularly susceptible colonies are queenless or have a caged queen, however queenright colonies can also be invaded.
Living with Africanized bees, where they exist, requires caution and diligence, but not alarm. Sensationalist news accounts of “killer bees” have mostly been over-blown, but the risk to unsuspecting or unwitting people and animals is still possible. Africanized bees will only sting to defend their nest.