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Step 1
Look for normal honey bee characteristics. A honey bee is 3/4 of an inch long, fuzzy and brownish. Their nests are located in areas of roofs, chimneys, bushes and other cavity-like areas. The Africanized honey bee looks the same. They are not larger or less fuzzy. They look exactly the same as a honey bee.
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Step 2
Watch for an aggressive attitude. They attack in large groups, make less honey, make less wax, hate high pitched noises, strong odors, shiny jewelry and dark clothes, and swarm more often than honey bees.
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Step 3
Watch for a prolonged agitation of the bees. Killer bees stay angry for a long time after a disturbance to their hive. Killer bees can be agitated for days. An attack will signal others to attack.
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Step 4
Watch for a prolonged attack range. Killer bees are known to attack up to 100 feet away. The killer bees are also slow and most people can outrun them.
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Step 5
Watch for the location on the body where the bee attacks. The killer bee attacks faces and ankles.
Comments
lilbob said
on 2/21/2008 no they make lots of honey!
kimmartin78738 said
on 10/30/2007 Normal honey bees attack faces and ankles too. Just anywhere there's skin showing, really. If you think you have Africanized traits in your bees -- that is, they are "mean" when you go into your hive for three consecutive times, all you have to do is re-queen and you will have all new bees in 6 weeks. We did and now our hive that gave us the most trouble is the gentlest.
krndpx said
on 10/12/2007 Good, informative article. One comment, though, Africanized bees are very good honey producers. In fact, there are some brave beekeepers that actually keep Africanized bees and harvest their honey!