Page "Honey bee" Paragraph 29

Africanized bees ( known colloquially as " killer bees ") are hybrids between European stock and one of the African subspecies A. m. scutellata ; they are often more aggressive than and do not create as much of a surplus as European bees, but are more resistant to disease and are better foragers.

Originating by accident in Brazil, they have spread to North America and constitute a pest in some regions.

However, these strains do not overwinter well, and so are not often found in the colder, more northern parts of North America.

On the other hand, the original breeding experiment for which the African bees were brought to Brazil in the first place has continued ( though not as intended ).

Novel hybrid strains of domestic and re-domesticated Africanized bees combine high resilience to tropical conditions and good yields.

They are popular among beekeepers in Brazil.