ATLANTA — A hybrid bee spawned from a combination of African and European honeybees have been sighted close to Georgia.
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper told Channel 2’s Linda Stouffer that the sighting was “obviously a concern,” but clarified that the sighting was in the state of Alabama.
The Africanized Honey Bees were found in Barbour County, Alabama, which is near the Alabama-Georgia state line.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the so-called “Africanized bees” are much more aggressive than European bees and are extremely defensive.
Officials say that means they swarm in large numbers and sting with very little provocation.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 28 arrested after $640K worth of methamphetamine seized during Bartow County bust
- They power almost everything now. But how safe are the lithium-ion batteries in your home?
- 4-year-old, 15-year-old die in separate drownings over July 4 weekend
Additionally, there have been multiple stinging deaths from Africanized bees in the United States, including in Georgia back in 2010 in Albany.
“If established, Africanized Bees represent a direct threat to Georgia agriculture and their aggressive behavior make them a threat to public health,” Harper said in a statement. “While this appears to be an isolated incident and there is no need for Georgians to be concerned at this time, we are continuing to monitor the situation in Alabama and encouraging Georgia beekeepers to report any overly aggressive colonies to GDA.”
In 2011, Georgia officials said a colony of Africanized bees were confirmed and destroyed in Decatur County, part of southwest Georgia near its border with Alabama and Florida.
Africanized bees were found in Alabama in two counties last year and were euthanized, agriculture officials said.
“So, you know, when you’re when you are working in those areas, especially areas where you have a lot of bees, you know, it’s not been uncommon that we found them in Georgia. It’s been quite it’s been over a decade since they’ve been found in our state,” Harper told Stouffer on Monday. “But definitely just being aware of knowing that it’s possible that they’re they’re out there. They have a very aggressive nature, unlike normal bees.”
Visually, Dr. Jennifer Berry at the University of Georgia Bee Program said Africanized Honey Bees and European Honey Bees are nearly identical, with small differences in size and color.
Harper said the main distinction between the two types of bees is the aggression level for the hybrid Africanized Honey Bees.
According to the University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension program, Africanized Honey Bees were first brought from Africa to Brazil in 1956. The hybrid bee species was bred in an effort to try and increase honey production in more tropical climates.
Due to their aggressive behavior, including taking over European bee colonies and killing the hives’ queens, the bees are sometimes referred to as “killer bees,” according to UGA.
Additionally, the bees are known to swarm and sting people, again part of their aggressive behavior.
UGA said that if you are attacked by Africanized bees, “run away or get indoors as fast as possible if you are attacked,” warning people not to swat at bees as it could make them retaliate further.
“Be aware that bees may follow you for hundreds of yards. Do not stop running to hide yourself under water or in leaves, brush or a crevice because bees are likely to find you and inflict numerous stings. The single most important thing is to get away from the colony,” according to the Extension program.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
