Killer bees are spreading throughout the US – and are being drawn to northern states due to warming temps | EUROtoday

Africanized honey bees, infamously generally known as “killer bees,” are quickly spreading throughout the United States, having already been confirmed in 13 states from California and Arizona to Florida, Georgia, and as far east as Alabama.

These aggressive hybrids, initially bred in South America from East African and European honeybees, have been steadily migrating northward, fueled by local weather change.

Unlike their European cousins, Africanized bees are extremely defensive, able to launching huge swarm assaults and delivering hundreds of stings inside minutes. They’ve even been reported to chase victims for almost a mile, typically following vehicles and vans, and are even able to stinging by customary beekeeping fits.

The scenario has turned lethal in current months. A swarm killed a 75-year-old Texas man mowing his garden final yr, whereas different assaults have hospitalized folks, pets, and animals, together with horses.

In 2022, a 20-year-old Ohio man was stung 20,000 instances whereas trimming tree branches and survived solely after medical doctors positioned him in a medically induced coma.

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South Florida is a serious hotspot for killer bees, reporting the densest populations and the very best variety of incidents within the final quarter. Africanized bees have been present in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, however they’ve a more durable time surviving these wetter climates.

Experts warn that rising temperatures might push Africanized bees additional north, particularly within the western U.S., placing hundreds of thousands extra Americans in danger by 2050.

“By 2050 or so, with increasing temperatures, we’re going to see northward movement, mostly in the western half of the country,” Dr. Juliana Rangel, a bee skilled in Texas who has been chased by the bees herself, advised the Daily Mail.

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Experts additionally say that when disturbed by garden tools, loud noises, and even pedestrians, these bees will swarm in overwhelming numbers and proceed placing lengthy after most different bees would retreat .

If you encounter a swarm, run away from the realm instantly, cowl your face, and search shelter in a constructing or automobile, because the bees normally stay outside.

Although harmful, Africanized bees are additionally extra disease-resistant than European honey bees, prompting some researchers to discover whether or not their resilience may profit broader pollination efforts.