If I recall correctly, the ‘killer bees’ were going to arrive in the United States by late 1977 or thereabouts. It was projected by the alarmists that these bees would wipe out a significant portion of the our population, and render most of the southern United States uninhabitable, soon thereafter...
What ever happened to those bees, anyway?
I thought the problem was abated when they trapped the bees and took them to the Louisiana Superdome where they turned down the temperature inside and killed them all.
Killer bees are still around. They almost killed a man in east Austin about one year ago. He had over 200 stings and was in shock before they got the bees away and him headed to the ER.
They are here. They were first discovered in Texas in 1990.
Here's a map of sitings in California: http://bees.ucr.edu/ahb_CA_05.pdf
More details: http://bees.ucr.edu/ahb-facts.html
All the hype aside, beekeepers have found ways to mitigate the effects. The primary problem with the Africanized bees is that they are more easily provoked, and more hostile. An individual sting isn't any more dangerous than a "regular" bee, but they are more likely to swarm someone they perceive as a threat.
More info here: http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/biology/a_bees.html
“What ever happened to those bees, anyway?”
They are in southern California, moving along the rivers and streams. We have the occasional killer bees meet man/dog incident. Unlike European honeybees the Africanized bees just keep pursuing and attacking. They can sting enough to kill.
Map of AHB colonized area in California as of 2005:
http://bees.ucr.edu/ahb_CA_05.pdf
Africanized Honey Bee Information In Brief
Africanized Honey Bees are the same species as the familiar European honey bees (EHB) used to produce honey and pollinate crops, but a different subspecies. They are called “Africanized Honey Bees” (abbreviated AHB) because they are the result of interbreeding between European bees and bees from Africa inadvertently released in Brazil in the 1950’s. They have also been referred to as “Killer Bees” in the media because of their increased defensive behavior.
Where they came from
The southern part of Africa. They were brought to southern Brazil, and have since spread as far south as Northern Argentina, and northward throughout South and Central America, and Mexico. They entered the United States in southern Texas in 1990, Arizona and New Mexico in 1993, and California in 1994.
Where they are now
Map of AHB colonized area in California This map is compiled by the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture (current as of 2005); you will need Acrobat Reader to view it. Updates, if any, can be found on CDFA’s site
During 1999, there were finds in most areas of Imperial, San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties, southern Kern County and Ventura County. In these areas, the density of Africanized bees is likely to increase, and they may continue to spread northward in California. In 2000 the known distribution changed little, but there were finds further into Kern County, and in late 2001 there was a find of foraging bees (colony not located) in Tulare County.
How they are recognized
Many people expect AHB to be larger and very distinctive, but in fact they look nearly identical to the (EHB) honey bees we have long had in California.
Honey bees are about 3/4 inch long, brownish, and a little fuzzy. Their nests are normally hidden in cavities. Less fuzzy insects with bright yellow and black markings, or with grey paper nests are probably wasps, not bees. Larger bees are not honey bees.
AHB can be distinguished from EHB by measurements under a microscope, and by analysis of their DNA. The California Department of Agriculture identifies Africanized bees as they enter new areas. After an area is well colonized, though, it is assumed that all honey bees not under the care of a beekeeper should be treated as Africanized bees.
Beekeepers will continue to keep European honey bees in their hives (the familiar white boxes) so these are not a threat if well maintained. In fact, EHB provide the best defense against AHB, by providing competition, and genetic dilution since new AHB queens may mate with EHB males.
Problems they cause
Stinging: Africanized bees defend their colonies much more vigorously than do European bees. The colonies are easily disturbed (sometimes just by being nearby). When they do sting, many more bees may participate, so there is a danger of receiving more stings. This can make them life threatening, especially to people allergic to stings, or with limited capacity to escape (the young, old, and handicapped), and to confined livestock or pets. Once disturbed AHB will continue the attack for a long distance.
Swarming and nesting: Africanized bee colonies are likely to be more common than European bees have been, and they swarm more frequently. They nest in places European bees did not, including small cavities near the ground like water meter boxes or overturned flower pots.