SIZE: 2/5 to 3/5 inches (Workers).

COLOR: Golden-yellow with darker bands of brown

DESCRIPTION: Africanized "killer" bees looks so much like a regular honeybee that the only way to tell the two apart is by measuring their bodies. Africanized bees have different wing measurements than honeybees.

Africanized honey bees are less predictable and more defensive than European honey bees. They are more likely to defend a greater area around their nest. They respond faster and in greater numbers although each bee can sting only once.

HABITAT: Africanized bees have small colonies, so they can build nests in unique places. They have been known to live in tires, crates, boxes, and empty cars.

LIFE CYCLE: The queen is responsible for reproduction. The drones are fertile male bees that mate with new queens. The workers are sterile females responsible for feeding the queen, maintaining the hive, gathering the pollen and nectar, and protecting the hive.

FACTS:

• Respond quickly and sting in large numbers
• Can sense a threat from people or animals 50 feet or more from the nest
• Sense vibrations from power equipment 100 feet or more from nest
• Will pursue an enemy ¼ mile or more
• Swarm frequently to establish new nests
• Nest in small cavities and sheltered areas
• As of 2008, Africanized ("Killer") Bees can be found in AZ, CA, NM, NV, & TX.