inf farming, Saturday, Junt 2,1984
NEWARK, Del. Aggressive
Africanized bees that escaped 28
years ago from a laboratory in
Brazil have now spread as far
north as Panama and Costa Rica.
A University of Delaware en
tomologist, Dr. Dewey Caron, has
gone to Panama to assess the
situation and collaborate on
research that might ultimately
help minimize damage.
As the Africanized bees move
northward, they interbreed with
local bee populations and pass on
their aggressive characteristics.
They swarm frequently, provoke
easily, and tirelessly pursue
anyone that disturbs them. These
aggressive qualities have earned
them the nickname “killer bees.”
Barring a research breakthrough,
the bees are expected to reach the
United States within the next five
years. They might ultimately
survive as far north as Delaware,
tCOMISION NACIONAL PARA EL CONTROL Y MANEJQ DE LA ABEJA.
AFHICANIZAOA EN PANAMA . - J
This Spanish language public safety poster warns
Panamanians to steer clear of Africanized bees.
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Farmers and Ranchers
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‘Killer Bees’ still heading north
so anything Caron learns in
Panama could prove useful here.
Caron first begun studying the
Panamanian beekeeping industry
in 1981, before the Africanized bees
arrived. Since then he has seen the
bees caused serious problems for
the general public, farmers, and
beekeepers in particular.
Bee stings have become a public
health problem in Panama. People
have been hospitalized from
stinging “accidents,” with
children, the sick and the elderly at
particular risk. Although the
average adult can withstand 500 or
more stings, even a single sting is
too much for the 1 percent of the
population that is allergic to bee
stings.
Chickens and other small
animals have died from too many
stings, and even large animals
have been affected. Tethered
horses have lost their lives from
bee attacks.
Rural Panamanians depend generally rent bees from
heavily on horses for tran- beekeepers because orchards must
spoliation and agriculture, and the be smaller and farther apart for
loss of one is serious indeed. But to successful natural pollination. But
attempt to untie a horse being the Africanized bees are driving
attacked by killer bees is to risk beekeepers out of business, not
one’s own life. only because they’re harder to
Since the coming of the handle, but also because they
'.liicaiazed bees, farmers have produce less honey, making them
also lost valuable pollination less profitable. Banks are no
services. To pollinate some crops, longer willing to lend money to
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beekeepers, since the enterprise
has now become risky. Before the
bees arrived, Panama exported
honey. Now honey production is
down 50 percent, and the country
cannot produce enough to meet its
own needs.
In Panama, Caron will lielp
beekeepers leam to adapt to the
Africanized bees by taking more
safety precautions, having more
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