Beehive in ceiling
Beehive in garage wall
Beehive in bar-b-que
African honey bees and European honey bees are the same species even though the two are classified as different races or sub-species. European honey bees were brought to the U.S. by old world Spanish explorers. For centuries, these European bees have been selected by beekeepers for their robust honey production and storage behavior, their reduced regular swarming/absconding tendencies, and their gentleness. The African honey bee was brought to Brazil in the 1950’s in an effort to increase honey production in Brazil. However, it was accidentally released into South America’s feral environment. Since that time, it has spread through South America, Central America, and into the U.S. The bee is considerably more defensive than its European cousin. Consequently, it is important to understand key differences between it and the docile European honey bee.
European Honey Bee
• May send out 10-20 guard bees in response to disturbance up to 20 feet away
• Once agitated, will usually become calm within 1-2 hours
• Disturbed colony will result in 10-20 stings
African Honey Bee
• May send out several hundred guard bees in response to disturbance up to 40 yards away
• Once agitated, may remain defensive for much longer--perhaps several days
• Disturbed African colony may sting 6-10 times more than a disturbed European colony