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Avoiding killer bees (Africanized honey bees)

As it is not possible to distinguish Africanized bees (AHB) from European bees in the field, the best defense is stay away from all bee swarms and colonies.

It is common in the spring or autumn for honeybee queen to leave a hive, along with a large group of workers, and to move to a new location to set up a new hive. During this activity there is very little risk of being stung by the Africanized bees unless you directly attack the swarm. It's after they've established a nest and are raising young that they will defend their nest with extreme fierceness. Individual bees foraging for nectar are not dangerous too unless you do something unordinary, such as step on them.

Africanized honey bees (AHB) nest in a wide variety of locations, so be alert for groups of flying bees entering or leaving an entrance or opening. Listen for buzzing sounds. If you hear the hum of bees nearby, you probably don't want to start jamming sticks into crevices to find them. Do not shoot, throw rocks at, try to burn or otherwise disturb the bees. Avoid the area, and contact a professional pest control service or a beekeeper.

When hiking in the wilderness, wear light-colored clothing, avoid wearing leather clothing. When they defend their nests, AHB target objects that resemble their natural predators, so they tend to go after dark, leathery or furry objects.

Avoid wearing scents of any sort when hiking or working outside. Avoid strongly scented soaps, shampoo and heavily scented gum. Bees are sensitive to odors, especially citrus based ones.

Bees are also sensitive to vibration and loud noises of lawn mowers, chainsaws or electric generators. Be careful using such equipment and check environment before you begin operating it.

Residents should periodically check their property for potential AHB colonies and remove possible nesting sites in and around buildings. Remove or eliminate junk piles, upturned pots, old bee equipment, fill holes in trees, seal any exterior opening of the house larger than 1/8 inch (such as pipe entrances), keep shrubbery trimmed back so it does not create dense patches or any place that could offer a nice, sheltered place for bees to set up a hive. If you spot some bee activity on your neighbor’s property, let them know.

Finalizing, we could say that thebest safety advice is to avoid any contacts with unfriendly honey bees. If, unfortunately, bees are encountered, there is a set of suggestions how to behave.