Domestic honeybees were imported from Europe during the 1600s and bred for many years to be gentle. Africanized honeybees are different. These bees have been migrating north from South America since the 1950s. They can now be found in South Texas and other parts of the United States, including New Mexico, Arizona, and California. While Africanized honeybees look like the domestic variety, their behavior is much more aggressive.
All bees defend their hives, but Africanized honeybees react more defensively with less cause.
Health officials say that wherever these bees congregate, more people will get stung. Spring and fall are the most dangerous times because it is then that the bees swarm to create new hives. Killer bees got their nickname because they sting in much greater numbers than domestic bees. A person may get stung hundreds of times in just a few moments. Some people and animals have been stung to death when they couldn't escape from the bees quickly enough.