DEL.ICIO.USAfricanized bees, fire ants top list of least wanted pests
Associated Press
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Some dangerous characters may be moving into your neighborhood: Africanized honey bees, fire ants, disease-bearing mosquitoes and ticks.
It isn’t bad enough that they can sting or sicken you. They also can kill.
Scott Bauer, USDA
More people are stung by fire ants than bees and wasps together according to Bob Vander Meer, lead scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s fire ant bio-control project.
The so-called “killer bees” have been blamed for the deaths of many animals and livestock along with at least 18 people since making their way into the United States in 1990. Fire ants sting millions of people annually and are responsible for more than 80 fatalities since their accidental introduction in the 1930s. Mosquito- and tick-transmitted ailments also cause hundreds of deaths.
Many of these bothersome insects establish colonies in warm climates — Africanized bees and fire ants, in particular. Others can be found from Florida to British Columbia. That includes mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus and ticks that transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
Avoidance is the best policy but may not be possible. Peaceful coexistence is another approach if you can develop a defensive mind-set similar to that of living in snake territory.
“It’s all about situational awareness,” said Jerry Hayes, chief bee expert for the state of Florida. Africanized bees, he said, “nest in places you might not recognize as a nest. Be prepared to run, to get out of there.”
Africanized hybrids have expanded their range to a score of mostly Southern states.
Although difficult to distinguish from its more docile cousin, the European honeybee, the Africanized subset swarms more frequently, is more defensive about its hives and attacks in greater numbers, delivering more stings.
“There have been fire ant fatalities but, if I had to choose, Africanized bees would be pretty close to the top of my ‘bad guys list,’ ” Hayes said. “They can fly. They will protect their nests up to a quarter-mile from their colonies. Anything perceived to be a threat, they will attack.”
The bees as individual pollinators aren’t all that bad, he said. The key is eliminating potential nesting sites.
“Get rid of overturned wheelbarrows and flowerpots. Don’t leave your garage doors open. Be careful about opening mail boxes or outdoor grills,” he said.
As for fire ants, colonies have been established in at least 15 states.
“More people are stung by fire ants than bees and wasps together,” said Bob Vander Meer, lead scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s fire ant bio-control project.
Fire ants will attack and eat almost anything, from plants and insect larvae to animals and nesting birds.
“Baits are pretty efficient,” Vander Meer said. “The ants carry them back to the colonies themselves.”
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