Killer Bees Are in Colorado for the First Time
Now before you let the headline of this article cause you to fear for your life, note that the killer bee name can be a bit deceiving. The bees won't actually kill you, but are just more aggressive than regular bees. Also, the killer bees found in Colorado are on the Western Slope, and haven't made their way to Northern Colorado at this point.
"Killer bees" or Africanized honey bees as they are scientifically known, are often misconceived because of their name. The sting of the Africanized honey bee is no more potent than another variety of honey bee, and they have a similar appearance. Africanized honey bees are more dangerous because they are more easily provoked, quicker to swarm, attack in greater numbers, and pursue their victims for greater distances. An Africanized bee colony can remain agitated longer and may attack up to a quarter of a mile away from the hive. So, dangerous, yes, but killer bees actually only kill one or two people per year in the United States.
The bees, which are normally found in warmer climates like Texas and Arizona, have been discovered in Palisade, Colorado. Experts claim this is as far north as this species of bees has ever been discovered.
Colorado State University is setting up a new testing facility for killer bees that should be operational in the next couple of weeks, and for now they say that the population of killer bees in Colorado is still too small to pose a threat to the public.
More From 95 Rock
