Invasive, feral Africanized honeybees (AHB) have been found in Alabama’s Jackson County and St. Clair County.
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has confirmed two AHB findings. Both finds were feral swarms collected by local beekeepers and have been destroyed to protect Alabama’s honeybees.
ADAI has set up traps in a five-mile radius of the detection sites to capture and identify any further presence of AHB and assess the extent of AHB infiltration.
Jackson County is in extreme northeast Alabama bordering Tennessee, close to Chattanooga. St. Clair County is east of Birmingham.
ADAI has contacted beekeepers in the vicinity of the AHB finds, informing them about the identification and management of AHB. They are asked to report any suspicious bee activity.
“Our goal is to protect both our residents and the health of our local bee populations,” Agriculture & Industries commissioner Rick Pate said. “We are working diligently to monitor the situation and taking necessary actions to prevent the spread of these aggressive bees.”
ADAI released the following statement on Monday:
Africanized Honeybees differ from European Honeybees (EHB) in behavior not appearance. Neither type of honeybee will indiscriminately attack humans or animals. Stinging is a defensive behavior employed by the colony to protect their brood (young bees) and food supply.
Differences in AHB and EHB are:
AHB are more defensive than EHB.
AHB are more easily disturbed and respond in greater numbers than EHB.
AHB may swarm as often as every six weeks, while EHB generally only swarm once a year.
AHB will nest in any available cavity or in the open. Nest sites include, water meter boxes, metal utility poles, cement blocks, junk piles, and house eaves. Other potential nesting sites include overturned flowerpots, old tires, mobile home skirts and abandoned structures. Holes in the ground and tree limbs, mailboxes, even an empty soda pop could be viewed as “home” to the AHB.
EHB nest in larger cavities above ground and sometimes in the open. EHB do not nest in holes in the ground. Nest sites include a beekeeper’s hive, hollow trees, cavities in walls and occasionally on a tree limb.
AHB will pursue a threat for over a mile where EHB will only pursue a threat for a few hundred yards.
The public is urged to stay vigilant and report any unusually aggressive bee behavior to ADAI. Africanized Honeybees can be highly defensive and pose a risk to humans and animals. It is important to avoid provoking any swarms and to seek professional assistance for bee removal.
If you believe you have found a colony of Africanized Honeybees, contact the ADAI’s State Apiary Unit at (334) 240-7228 or (334) 240-7172. For any additional information about honeybees, visit here.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama. He writes about Alabama people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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