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NEWS RELEASE
- September 3, 2002
- Agricultural Commissioner's Office, (805) 681-5600
Santa Barbara Coastal Vector Control District, (805) 969-5050
AFRICANIZED HONEY BEES CONFIRMED
- IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
The Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner's Office
received confirmation today of the first Africanized honey bee
(AHB) find in the County. The sample had been collected by the
Santa Barbara Coastal Vector Control District (SBCVCD) and was
confirmed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture's
laboratory in Sacramento.
"We've been expecting this", said Bill Gillette,
Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner. "AHB has
been slowly moving northward since it first migrated into the
California deserts in 1994."
The samples were taken from two bee swarms in Goleta, after
the bees were reported to the Vector Control District. SBCVCD
destroyed all remaining bees at the time the sample was taken,
and no one was stung.
African honey bees were introduced to Brazil in 1956 for
research purposes. Since their accidental release in 1957, when
they began mating with European bees to form the hybrid "Africanized"
honey bee, they have steadily migrated northward. They now occupy
parts of Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California. Africanized
honey bees are less predictable and more defensive than European
honey bees, and are more likely to defend a greater area around
their nest. They respond faster and in greater numbers, although
each bee can sting only once. Although these traits have earned
Africanized honey bees the nickname "killer bees", in
the twelve years since their arrival in the United States via
Texas, AHB has only been responsible for about twelve human deaths,
mostly in Texas and Arizona. The average number of deaths per
year caused by the common European Honey bee in the US is around
40.
Experts stress that some common sense precautions will greatly
reduce the chance that you will ever encounter AHB. These include
removing debris from yards, sealing openings in exterior walls,
and skirting mobile homes to the ground. If you see a bee swarm,
leave it alone. All bee swarms are non-aggressive in nature as
long as they are not disturbed. If aggressive bees are encountered,
run away as quickly as possible and seek shelter in a car or house.
Try and protect your face as you run, as the bees will focus their
attack there. The attached information prepared by the University
of California provides general bee precautions, information on
bee-proofing your home, and what to do if stung.
"There are a variety of resources available to assist
the community," said Gillette. These include lesson plans
for schools, videos, slides, and written materials in English
and Spanish. To learn more about AHB or to request materials for
your agency or organization, Santa Barbara County residents can
call the Agricultural Commissioner's AHB Information Line at (805)
681-5601 or (877) 856-2337 toll-free, or the Santa Barbara Coastal
Vector Control District at (805) 969-5050.
In an emergency situation where individuals are being stung
multiple times, call 911. In non-emergency situations, the Santa
Barbara Coastal Vector Control District will provide service or
referrals for residents of the unincorporated areas of the county.
Residents of the incorporated areas should contact their specific
city or hire a private pest control operator for bee removal on
their property.
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