CREATURE CONNECTION

Killer Bees

Unfortunately, killer bees do not come from the Imaginary World. They are very real and can be quite dangerous.

Back in 1956, some scientists brought southern African bees to South America in an attempt to breed a better honeybee. They thought the southern African bees would be a good choice because they eat nectar and pollen, and make honey. But this experiment went awry. The African bees escaped quarantine, bred with local bees, and started a new, aggressive species that quickly spread throughout South and Central America.

These bees are called killer bees because they sometimes attack animals and people who stray into their territory. Their venom isn’t more toxic than regular honeybees’, but they attack in large numbers, and that is what makes them dangerous. And they can stay on the attack for up to twenty-four hours, making it difficult for their victim to escape!

It didn’t take long for these bees to migrate beyond South and Central America. In 1990, a swarm of killer bees was found in Texas.

While they are dangerous to humans and animals, killer bees also pose a threat to honey production. As they spread to new territories, they breed with native bees, thus increasing the population of aggressive bees. Aggressive bees are difficult to farm for honey.

It seems that in our attempt to make a new type of bee, we messed things up. But hopefully, in the near future, we will find a better way to deal with these creatures.

STORY IDEAS

Pretend you are a scientist. You want to make a better ladybug. Ladybugs are very helpful to farmers because they eat aphids—bad bugs that destroy crops. You bring in a special bug from a faraway land to breed with local ladybugs, hoping to make them bigger so they can eat more aphids. But the result is not what you expected. What happens?

Imagine that you and your best friend are walking in the woods, and suddenly you hear a buzzing noise. You turn to find a swarm of killer bees coming right at you! What do you do? Can you find a place to hide? How do you survive?

ART IDEA

Can you create a new insect? Use this handy list and combine two or more to create your new bug. Feel free to add more bugs to the list.

beetle

bumblebee

butterfly

cockroach

flea

housefly

ladybug

mosquito

ant

wasp

hornet