Meanwhile, down in Florida ...

> Africanized bees, called killer bees because of the dramatic death they can inflict, have become the dominant wild bee in Florida, say state officials. "These are mean bees," said Jerry Hayes, chief apiary inspector for the state Department of Agriculture. "And it's not going to get better. It's going to get worse." Two years ago the department recommended that all wild bees be exterminated.

> But now beekeepers are divided - with some ignoring the call to exterminate - saying they're in the midst of the biggest crisis their profession has ever seen. "It's a double-edged sword," said Dade City beekeeper David Hackenberg. "I understand why you would be concerned about public safety. Unfortunately, we need these bees."

> Jeff McChesney, a Gulfport pest exterminator and bee enthusiast, has helped place a dozen wild bee hives with beekeepers struggling to rebuild their devastated colonies. "I have people from as far as the state of Oregon who are willing to drive here once a month to get our bees because they are collapsing elsewhere," he said. But last month the state warned him about the risks. "I'm kind of at a standstill now," he said. "I don't know if we should kill them or save the bees."

excerpted for review purposes from

KILLER BEES RULE IN FLORIDA
St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, Fla.
Author:	CRISTINA SILVA
Date:	Oct 3, 2007

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