COLONIZATION HISTORY IN THE US
WHEN DID KILLER BEES (AHB) FIRST ARRIVE IN THE US?
WHAT AREAS HAVE THEY COLONIZED?

The first land-migrating swarm of Africanized bees was detected in the US on October 15, 1990. These bees were captured in a baited trap at the border town of Hidalgo, Texas. AHB colonies were first reported in Arizona and New Mexico in 1993 and Nevada in 1998. The first California discovery was in October of 1994; one year later over 8,000 square miles of Imperial, Riverside and northeastern San Diego counties were declared officially colonized. AHB nests were discovered in Oklahoma and Alabama in 2004, Arkansas, Florida, and Louisiana in 2005, and Utah in 2009.

To date, some 164 counties in Texas, 20 counties in New Mexico, all 15 counties in Arizona, 3 counties in Nevada,
18 counties in California, 41 counties in Oklahoma, 1 county in Alabama, 7 counties in Arkansas, 32 counties in Florida, and 10 parishes in Louisiana, and 3 counties in Utah have reported Africanized honey bee finds. Many scientists believe Africanized bees will continue to spread and successfully overwinter in the US's southern tier states.