Killer Bees

Breeding five times more often than native honey bees, witness huge armies of killer bees, some 50,000 individuals strong, as they march., As they conduct frantic research into the problem, Ben and Karla find out that Dr. Alvarez himself has bred this species of aggressive and extremely poisonous bees., Breeding five times more often than native honey bees, witness huge armies of killer bees, some 50,000 individuals strong, as they march on., A single swarm of killer bees can deploy an attack force of 50,000 stingers. Their armies can chase and bring down a creature as big as a horse. Can anything stop them?, Awaiting research): 1957, a remote laboratory in Sao Paulo, Brazil and a controlled experiment goes horribly wrong. Killer bees begin their trail of destruction. They’ve already claimed more than a thousand lives. They’re now advancing 15 miles every month through the U.S. Every year their numbers increase five-fold. They appear to be unstoppable. By the year 2010 they’ll be established in 40 U.S. states. Is there a solution to the killer bee crisis? This special takes us into the intimate world of the Africanized honeybee. Using specialist macro photography and aerial imaging techniques, we explore bee society unlocking the secrets of its unique biology and behavior. We explain how they got to the U.S., why they spread so successfully and displace the established European honeybee, and why they pose such a threat to us., The amazing story of African or ‘killer’ bees, including how they came to migrate to the USA and the attempts being made to stem their relentless advance., A programme documenting the story of African or ‘killer’ bees including how they came to migrate to the USA and the attempts being made to stem their relentless advance.