Killer Bee Foods

"Killer" bees are actually Africanized honey bees, a hybrid between bees brought from southern Africa by a group of Brazilian scientists and our European honey bee. They sport the name "killer" because they are significantly more aggressive than the European honey bee. Sometimes provoked simply by slight vibrations or noises, they rise to the attack more easily, will attack in large groups and will chase the "threat" for up to a quarter mile. Because they attack in groups and sting 10 times more than regular bees, they are capable of killing a human. Africanized bees eat the same food as all honey bees, but they will migrate when they lack food, sometimes driving away other honey bees.

  1. Pollen

    • Pollen is the male germ cell produced by plants and one of the main sources of food for honey bees and killer bees alike. Pollen is rich in vitamins and minerals and consists of roughly 35% protein. Bees collect it from the male parts of plants when they land on them. They can only collect pollen and use it as food when plants are flowering.

    Honey

    • Bees produce honey from the nectar they collect from plants. It is essentially plant nectar held in the mouth of a worker bee until the water evaporates. Bees store honey in the hive and eat it year-round.

    Royal Jelly

    • Royal jelly, also known as bee milk, consists of pollen, honey or nectar and a chemical secreted from the head of a nursing bee. Bees feed it to the bee larvae for the first two days of their lives and feed it throughout the larval period to the bee larvae selected to become queen. It is rich in B vitamins and commands prices rivaling those of caviar. Humans consume it as a dietary supplement and fertility stimulant, as some scientific studies have shown it to reverse menopause, speed up wound recovery and slow the aging process, among many effects.

    Food Sources

    • Africanized bees can survive on very little pollen and nectar, and unlike regular honey bees, they will migrate if food is scarce. They are more opportunistic than other bees in that they forage individually, and in a wider radius from the nest. If they find resources, a swarm will move to harvest the findings. They may also oust other bees from an area if they move in and find resources there.