(Times-Picayune) More Africanized honeybees have been found in St. Bernard Parish, the state Agriculture and Forestry office said Tuesday. "In January, a colony of Africanized honeybees was found in a St. Bernard Parish house being torn down because of damage from Hurricane Katrina. The proximity of this find indicates the bees could be a swarm from that colony or could be from a ship or barge passing by on the river," Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom said in the news release. "Although the exact source can't be identified, we have to assume Africanized honeybees are now established in the area and people should be careful when working outside." The Department of Agriculture and Forestry maintains Africanized honeybee traps along a north-south corridor through the state and at all deepwater ports. These traps will continue to be utilized in monitoring the progression of Africanized honeybees across the state. So far this year, LDAF's New Orleans District has collected 40 samples from traps near the Mississippi River and the port. Five of the samples were sent to the USDA for further confirmation. Of those, three were negative, one was positive and one is pending results. Africanized bees are smaller and more aggressive than the European honeybees commonly raised for honey production. Their hostile nature concerns many outdoor enthusiasts. "Because Africanized bees have been labeled 'killer bees' for years, there's an idea around that they are bigger than European honeybees," Odom said. "The truth is they're actually smaller but a lot fiercer."

Join BBN for free to post a comment. If you already have an account, please login here to post a comment. You will be returned to this page after logging in.