Learning to live with african honey bees: Florida's Look, Listen and Run Program

摘要

Honey bees brought to the U.S. in the 1600's by European settlers soon became one of the most economically beneficial insects. Their gentle nature made them easy to manage. In 1956, researchers in Brazil imported honey bees from Africa in an attempt to create a honey bee that would be better suited to tropical conditions. The African honey bees were bred with European honey bees. Researchers expected that when mated the hybrid would be less defensive. However, that was not the case. During the mid-50s African queen bees were tried in a variety of locations, all from a breeding program in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The hybrid Africanized honey bees became established and expanded their range through South and Central America. In 1990 they were reported in Hidalgo, Texas and since then, have been found throughout the southwestern U.S. and are now found in Florida.