Dangerous pests

By Dean Fosdick

Who’s who on your garden’s ‘Least Wanted’ list

Some dangerous characters may be moving into your neighborhood: Africanized honey bees, fire ants, disease-bearing mosquitoes and ticks.

It isn’t bad enough that they can sting or sicken you. They also can kill.

The so-called “killer bees” have been blamed for the deaths of many animals and livestock along with at least 18 people since making their way into the United States in 1990. Fire ants sting millions of people annually and are responsible for more than 80 fatalities since their accidental introduction in the 1930s. Mosquito- and tick-transmitted ailments also cause hundreds of deaths.

Many of these bothersome insects establish colonies in warm climates — Africanized bees and fire ants, in particular. Others can be found from Florida to British Columbia. That includes mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus, and ticks that transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.

Avoidance is the best policy, but may not be possible. Peaceful coexistence is another approach if you can develop a defensive mindset similar to that of people living in snake territory.

“It’s all about situational awareness,” said Jerry Hayes, chief bee expert for the state of Florida. Africanized bees, he said, “nest in places you might not recognize as a nest. Be prepared to run, to get out of there.”

Africanized hybrids have expanded their range to a score of mostly Southern states, from Florida to California. Sightings have been confirmed, however, as far north as Kansas City, Mo.

Although difficult to distinguish from its more docile cousin, the European honeybee, the Africanized sub-set swarms more frequently, is more defensive about its hives and attacks in greater numbers, delivering more stings.

The bees as individual pollinators aren’t all that bad, he said. “They’re just cruising around your flowers, doing their jobs.” The key is eliminating potential nesting sites, Hayes said.

Establish an escape route when working outside. If attacked, get to an enclosed location, such as a building or car.

If you see a swarm of the wild honeybees, keep your distance and call an expert to get rid of it, said Michael O’Malley of the University of Florida’s Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab, at Gainesville, Fla.

Gardening remains a great activity despite the risks, O’Malley said.

As for fire ants, colonies have been established in at least 15 states since they were introduced into the United States in 1929, probably from soils used as ballast in cargo ships.

“More people are stung by fire ants than bees and wasps together,” said Bob Vander Meer, lead scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s fire ant bio-control project.

Fire ants will attack and eat almost anything, from plants and insect larvae to animals and nesting birds.

Confine insecticide spraying only to areas where people and animals frequently gather.