July 30, 2007—The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), representing more than 30,000 occupational safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) professionals, is alerting its members about the rapid growth of the harmful, aggressive Africanized Honey Bees (AHBs) in the US and their negative impact on workplace safety.
First found in southern Texas in 1990, AHBs are now located throughout the south, southeast, and southwest states, including California, and are more likely to attack people and animals near their nests, says ASSE. Although the sting from an AHB is no more harmful than one from the common garden bee or European Honey Bee (EHB), they are known as the “killer bees” because they defend their nests more aggressively, attack with less provocation, and in larger numbers. They are more apt to sting quickly and multiple times, adds ASSE.
Over the last several years, numerous attacks have been reported in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, and Texas. Emergency response agencies in these states have implemented first responder training programs as well as public education efforts.
“This is a major threat,” ASSE member and SH&E professional Teresa Dwyer, CSP, of Boca Raton, Florida, said. “It can cost several hundreds of dollars to have a professional remove an AHB hive and without the correct protective equipment and training, the potential rescuer may become an additional victim.”
In an effort to prevent injuries from the AHBs, ASSE has developed a safety tip sheet and a list of resources for members and the public on bee safety. For more information visit ASSE’s “Africanized Honeybee Safety Tips” Web page or the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service’s “Africanized Honey Bees” Web page.
