# Wharever Happened to the Killer Bees? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2011, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729 "2011-12-19T11:34:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/21 "2011-12-20T14:52:12Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > I just remember that movie where they almost ate Angela Lansbury then somehow crashed a train. “The Swarm.” I don’t remember Angela Lansbury, but I remember a love triangle that included… Fred MacMurray! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/22 "2011-12-20T15:15:35Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > [The Killer Bees](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killer_Bees_%28professional_wrestling%29) > > “Jumping” Jim Brunzell is working as a financial planner somewhere in Minnesota, I think. > > B. Brian Blair was elected as a County Commissioner somewhere in Florida, but think he served one term before losing a re-election bid. I was too slow. Darn you to heck, **Oakminster**. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/23 "2011-12-20T15:48:48Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > “The Swarm.” > > I don’t remember Angela Lansbury, but I remember a love triangle that included… Fred MacMurray! Well, sure, kids, they weren’t DiCaprio and Winslet, but dadgummit, it’s what we had, and we _liked_ it! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/24 "2011-12-20T19:21:11Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > If you really believe all those things belong on the same list your ignorance is staggering. [moderator note] This is GQ, **Alka Seltzer**. Even with the conditional portion of your sentence, there’s too much personal insult in this post. [/moderator note] ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/25 "2011-12-20T22:51:32Z")
> [@Tibbytoes](#): > > **Covered\_In\_Bees** , the cause of death in this case certainly is a mystery. My first thoughts were burst aortic aneurism, radiation poisoning or indiscriminate ingestion of fugu (puffer-fish) livers. But, considering this happened in South Florida, I’m now thinking the culprit may just involve indigenous fauna: alligator bite, python constriction…who knows, maybe even bee stings. One thing for sure, this was no boating accident. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/26 "2011-12-21T01:28:39Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > One thing for sure, this was no boating accident. Are you ruling out coral reefs or Jack The Ripper? ---
**Author:** ![TheBori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@TheBori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBori)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/27 "2011-12-21T13:14:20Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > They were carried there by African swallows. …in a coconut. (I can’t believe I’m the first) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/28 "2011-12-21T13:38:46Z")
Due to bad timing the **AIDS Plague** got a few of them. Some died in the **Y2K Apocalypse**. They rallied but soon **Mad Cow Disease** claimed more and then **SARS** and **Bird Flu** followed up with a quick 1-2. Although they were constantly under threat from **Violent Video Games** , **Vaccination induced Autism** and **Mobile Phone Tumors** I think it was **Swine Flu** that got the last of them. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/29 "2011-12-21T19:50:49Z")
Okay folks, now that we’ve survived the invasion of the killer bees, Y2k, Mad Cow Disease, Aids, and Monty Python quotes—what about the most recent appocalyptic prediction: colony collapse syndrome…? A couple years ago, entire colonies of bees suddenly disappeared, and there were articles about how agriculture would collapse without pollination, etc, and we were all doomed. Did the end of the world happen when I wasn’t paying attention? ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/30 "2011-12-21T20:20:47Z")
Yes ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/31 "2011-12-21T20:28:30Z")
Some people, and some bees, were left behind. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/32 "2011-12-22T00:23:23Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Yes, the [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africanized_bee) on them even has an [animated graphic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Killerbees_ani.gif) of their spread. Looking at that graphic, I’m wondering what kind of incredibly effective bee repellent we must have along the borders of Utah. It’s amazing that these bees would infest all of Arizona and Western Nevada, but stop right at the Utah state line. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/33 "2011-12-22T00:39:07Z")
I can’t put my finger on a cite right this minute, but speaking as a former beekeeper, I understood that as the African bees made their way into the North American Continent, they hybridized with other strains and their aggressive qualities were diminished. By the time they arrived in Texas, they weren’t the serious threat they were in Brazil, and they had acquired some useful characteristics in exchange. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/34 "2011-12-22T02:06:51Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Due to bad timing the **AIDS Plague** got a few of them. Some died in the **Y2K Apocalypse**. They rallied but soon **Mad Cow Disease** claimed more and then **SARS** and **Bird Flu** followed up with a quick 1-2. Although they were constantly under threat from **Violent Video Games** , **Vaccination induced Autism** and **Mobile Phone Tumors** I think it was **Swine Flu** that got the last of them. Don’t forget the **Terrorists** and the **Boat People**. ---
**Author:** ![tmarcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@tmarcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tmarcl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/35 "2011-12-22T03:41:13Z")
> [@TheBori](#): > > …in a coconut. > > (I can’t believe I’m the first) I was actually getting excited as I scrolled down. “Look!” I said, “No one has made the obvious coconut comment!” Then I got to you. I hate you. (just kidding). Marc ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/36 "2011-12-22T03:50:29Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > Looking at that graphic, I’m wondering what kind of incredibly effective bee repellent we must have along the borders of Utah. It’s amazing that these bees would infest all of Arizona and Western Nevada, but stop right at the Utah state line. Magical underpants and holy golden plates are known bee repellents. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/37 "2011-12-22T04:00:57Z")
I blame overuse by Skald in attacking his enemies. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/38 "2011-12-23T04:44:42Z")
Isn’t there–or hasn’t there recently been–a bee shortage? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/39 "2011-12-23T19:47:27Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I blame overuse by Skald in attacking his enemies. My stocks of bees are more than adequate to my needs. And you misspelled _blameless victims_. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729/40 "2011-12-29T06:43:49Z")
95-year-old badass in L.A. [stung](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/95-year-old-man-attacked-swarm-bees-stung-400-times-police-article-1.946887) 400 times by African bees, walks away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wharever-happened-to-the-killer-bees/606729.md?page=3)