Charleston, SC (WLTX) - A colony of Africanized honey bees was found in South Carolina for the first time in 15 years, according to officials with Clemson University.
The bees were discovered in a managed hive in Charleston County as part of a routine survey, and were destroyed soon after they were detected. Tests confirmed the insects were a hybrid of Africanized and European bees.
A beekeeper was stung five or six times by the insects.
“This appears just to be a localized incident, but as a precaution we have depopulated the hive and are conducting a survey within a two-mile area to determine whether any Africanized honey bees remain,” said South Carolina State Apiary Inspector Brad Cavin. “Depending on those results we’ll decide whether any additional efforts will be required.”
At this point, Clemson officials says there appears to be no threat to the Charleston area. An investigation is underway to determine where the bees came from.
The last time Africanized bees were found in South Carolina was back in 2001, when a colony popped up in the wing of an airplane in Greenville. After those bees were destroyed, no more bees were found.
Africanized bees were first introduced in Brazil a half century ago, and were finally detected in the U.S. back in 1985. They were mostly confined to the Southwest and southern Florida.