Africanized honeybees (AHB) were imported from Africa to Brazil in
1956 as part of a research project to genetically strengthen the existing
European honeybee, and make them more adaptable to the tropical climate.
In 1957, they escaped from an apiary in Brazil and have spread and multiplied.
The first swarms were detected in Texas in October of 1990 and have
continued to spread to other states.
On October 24th, 1994, the first swarm was detected in Blythe, CA. Eleven
swarms were detected during the next year in Southern California and
the first established hive was found in El Centro on October 5th, 1995.
Two recent massive stinging incidents in Arizona resulted in the death
of an 88 year-old woman in Apache Junction and the death of a man in
his sixties in Cave Creek (the third confirmed death attributed to the
AHB in the U.S.). As of this date, June 2001, the AHB has migrated into
San Luis Obispo County, and many stinging incidents, as well as one
death in California have been attributed to the AHB. The new colonized
area is approximately 48,900 square miles and includes San Bernardino,
Imperial, San Diego, and Riverside, Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, Orange
Counties, as well as Laughlin, Nevada.
Honey Bees Nesting in Wall