Just What N.O. Didn't Need- Africanized Bees Reported In St. Bernard Parish - ENN

[hatrack]

ARABI, La. -- The residents of flood-damaged St. Bernard Parish, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, have a new concern: killer bees.

Agriculturalists began setting traps around a half-mile radius of a storm-wrecked home Monday that authorities have confirmed was infested with aggressive Africanized honey bees.

The hybrids first drove away contractors hired to tear the house down. Then they drove off beekeepers called in to catch them. Finally mosquito workers killed the bees. The state agriculture department confirmed in late December that they were hybrids with the aggressive African strain, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Bob Odom said.

The traps are to determine if more Africanized bees are lurking in the area. "So far, this is an isolated find in the New Orleans area," Odom said.

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11994

[LSK]

1. great! what else can happen???

[kestrel91316]

2. We've had them in SoCal for years. IIRC, the fire departments

just need a little training in use of the soapy water solution that wipes the things out PDQ.

The bees living in the remains of my dying apricot tree in the back yard are the nice European ones, very well-behaved.

Also, IIRC, the Africanized bees are GREAT honey producers............

[Der Blaue Engel]

3. I remember when Killer Bees were the scariest thing I could think of

:cry: