Subtropical Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Swarming Dynamics and Africanization Rates in Northeastern Mexico and Southern Texas

Abstract

Honey Bee, Apis mellifera L., swarming dynamics and Africanization rates were monitored over a 5-yr period from 1988 to 1993 in the northeast Mexican State of Tamaulipas and in the lower Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas before, during, and after the arrival of the neotropical African honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata Ruttner, to these areas. The study reports results obtained from 95,586 site-days of monitoring activities in northeastern Mexico (63 sites on a 200 km long east–west transect), and 68,428 site-days in southern Texas (36 sites on a 120 km long, east–west transect). Africanized honey bee capture rates were higher than European honey bee rates for gulf coastal areas in Mexico where both bee types also showed higher capture rates in agricultural lowlands versus montane areas. In the Texas location, European honey bee capture rates were slightly higher near the gulf coast, but otherwise swarm capture rates were similar across the transect for both Africanized honey bee and European honey bee. Pre-Africanization, European honey bee swarm capture rates were found to vary widely from year to year at each location, ranging from 0.138 to 0.446 swarms/site-month in Mexico and from 0.190 to 0.555 swarms/site-month in Texas. Post-Africanization capture rates were not appreciably different from pre-Africanization rates, ranging from 0.491 to 0.519 swarms/site-month in Mexico and 0.195 to 0.648 swarms/site-month in Texas. Africanization proceeded more quickly in northeastern Mexico where it reached 98% within 2.5 yr after the detection of the 1st Africanized honey bee. In southern Texas Africanization rates reached only 69% during an equivalent time frame.