# What Happened to the "Killer" Bees? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356 **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share **Created:** [May 13, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356 "2009-05-13T22:53:40Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c) #### Post date: [May 13, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/1 "2009-05-13T22:53:40Z")
I thought by now, the african bees would be here in New England! I never read anything about these things anymore-I thought they would have killed several million people by now. So, have they calmed down, become less aggressive? or was this think another minor story, blown out of proportion by the media?😕 ---
### Author: ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby) #### Post date: [May 13, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/2 "2009-05-13T23:18:03Z")
I thought they were coming from Mexico. Just goes to show… they never did arrive (I have been “expecting” them for the past 20 years). ---
### Author: ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones) #### Post date: [May 13, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/3 "2009-05-13T23:34:27Z")
Media induced hysteria. It wasn’t happening. See also: Missing children on milk cartons, Y2K year 2000, hole in ozone layer, the coming ice age or no, wait, global warming, assault weapon proliferation, the ‘new’ bee colony collapse disorder, 2012 end of the world, Swine flu. 24 hour news cycle. By god if there is no news, we will just have to make some. Because we have to keep talking about something. ---
### Author: ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff) #### Post date: [May 13, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/4 "2009-05-13T23:40:42Z")
They kill several dogs and injure many people every year out here. ---
### Author: ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv) #### Post date: [May 13, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/5 "2009-05-13T23:59:08Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > They kill several dogs and injure many people every year out here. So…'bout the same as regular bees, then? ---
### Author: ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/6 "2009-05-14T00:03:55Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > So…'bout the same as regular bees, then? No, they are noticeably more aggressive, and will follow people or animals much farther than normal honeybees. Still, they aren’t the menace that they were made out to be. ---
### Author: ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/7 "2009-05-14T00:07:43Z")
Has the [disease that is wiping out regular bees](http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/03/State/Scientists_ask__Where.shtml) affected them at all? ---
### Author: ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/8 "2009-05-14T00:45:06Z")
They were wiped out by swine flu. Honey sneezes are the worst. ---
### Author: ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/9 "2009-05-14T00:54:25Z")
> [@](#): > > What Happened to the “Killer” Bees? Bell got traded to the Mets, if I remember correctly. ---
### Author: ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/10 "2009-05-14T01:44:56Z")
I’d think that interbreeding with the much larger population of normal bees would also dilute their dangerous qualities, over time. ---
### Author: ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/11 "2009-05-14T06:36:35Z")
They are the norm here. I remember when they used to have to send the bees to be identified as Africanized. Now it is physically obvious–they are smaller than the usual European honeybees–about 3/4 the size. You see them and you can’t mistake them. They will hover and menace you if you don’t retreat. Be thankful you haven’t had to deal with them. They are alive and well in Deep South Texas. It is not media-induced hysteria. Several people die here each year, and all bees here are considered Africanized. They can be agitated by something as simple as a weedeater or noisy car. Scary. ---
### Author: ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/12 "2009-05-14T06:59:05Z")
We also have a statue [here--www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2224](http://here--www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2224) And the local hockey team is the Killer Bees. [www.killerbeehockey.com](http://www.killerbeehockey.com) ---
### Author: ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/13 "2009-05-14T13:27:18Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Bell got traded to the Mets, if I remember correctly. And Bagwell and Biggio both retired. ---
### Author: ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/14 "2009-05-14T19:41:33Z")
I think their leader died from a drug overdose. [See link](http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/the-killer-bees/29161/) ---
### Author: ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/15 "2009-05-14T20:08:29Z")
The proper term is “Africanized bees”. They are somewhat more aggressive than other breeds of bees but by no means “killer”. Right now Africanized bees are in most of the southern US states. They are the normal bee that is used for pollination and honey production because that is what is available. I keep bees in Virginia (I’m new at it) and we are encouraged to buy new packages of bees from non-southern states to keep the Africanized bees out. It’s probably only a matter of time though. Basically, the regular bees, Italian or Russian maybe, cross with the Africanized and you end up with bees that are not as calm as desired. You don’t want to get tangled up with a hive of angry Africanized bees, that’s for sure, but if you don’t need to come within 50 yards of such a hive you wouldn’t even notice them. I saw a show on animal planet recently about a “killer bee hunter”. To hear him talk he was hunting man-eating lions rather bees. Lots of talk about how they will “kill you if you get close” and dire warning to all bystanders - as if they weren’t standing there already with bees merrily buzzing around . Odd thing was, the only equipment he used was a standard veil and gloves and he never seemed to get stung. ---
### Author: ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/16 "2009-05-14T20:08:45Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > And Bagwell and Biggio both retired. :smack: How short-sighted of me! ---
### Author: ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/17 "2009-05-14T20:12:30Z")
Regular ol’ bees can and will kill people as well - only less frequently. ---
### Author: ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/18 "2009-05-14T20:20:32Z")
Blair is a Gold’s Gym owner/manager, and Brunzell is a financial planner. ---
### Author: ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/19 "2009-05-14T20:23:05Z")
Zombie-inducing flies killed them all. ---
### Author: ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov) #### Post date: [May 14, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356/20 "2009-05-14T20:26:02Z")
Why do bees produce so much honey, and how starving was the first person who tried to get it out of a hive? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-killer-bees/496356.md?page=2)