The "murdered bee" is less harmful

1989/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia

This bee entered Brazil years ago. African is a breed of the same species as the Apis mellifera European bee. After his entry into Brazil, he begins to spread to the north, traveling 500 kilometers a year and leaving his reputation as criminal as he expands. There has been news of the death of animals, cattle, and people by their beehives.

The killer bees also have a reputation for being more bad pollinators than the European ones. According to bee expert Richard Nowogrozky, African bees are more aggressive than European bees, but not less pollinating.

According to Nowogrozky, African bees mature faster than European bees, so they need more pollen to take them to hive. Consequently, they are better pollinators than other species.

Another argument used against the killer bees has been to reduce the production of European bees. This happened in Brazil during the 10 years following the introduction of the African bee, but today there is more honey than ever. The reduction in the production at the beginning is due to the lack of knowledge on the part of beekeepers of the special conditions required for the cultivation of African bees (for example, the distancing of beehives).

The African bee also has an obvious advantage against the European bee not to attack the barroasis. The great damage caused by this parasite mite in hives is known (see Elhuyar. Science and Technology 11, 26. Page. ).