What is the Difference Between Honey Bee and Killer Bee?

Honey bees and killer bees, also known as Africanized honey bees, are both subspecies of the Apis mellifera species, but they have some key differences:

1. Size: Killer bees are slightly smaller than European honey bees, with shorter wings and a more aggressive nature.
2. Hive Defense: When their nest is threatened, killer bees are more likely to defend it aggressively, often emptying their nest to attack the intruder. European honey bees, on the other hand, are less likely to sting and will only send around 10% of their bees to protect the colony's home.
3. Swarming: Killer bees tend to swarm more often than European honey bees. When resources are limited, they may take their honey and move to a new location.
4. Nesting Site Preferences: Killer bees often establish nests in smaller cavities, such as water meter boxes and other man-made structures.
5. Venom: Both killer bees and honey bees carry the same amount of venom. However, the increased aggression of killer bees makes them more likely to sting, increasing the risk of injury or death.

In summary, the main differences between honey bees and killer bees lie in their size, hive defense, swarming behavior, nesting site preferences, and aggressiveness. While both subspecies have venom, killer bees are more likely to sting due to their defensive nature.

Comparative Table: Honey Bee vs Killer Bee

Africanized honey bees, also known as "killer bees," are a strain of honey bees that are slightly smaller and more aggressive than European honey bees. Here is a table comparing the differences between the two:

Both Africanized and European honey bees are the same species (Apis mellifera) but are classified as different subspecies. Africanized honey bees were first introduced to Brazil in 1956 in an attempt to improve honey production, but they were accidentally released into the wild and have since spread throughout South and Central America and into the southwestern United States.