BEES AFRICANIZED HYBRIDS TESTS CONFIRM EXTERMINATOR'S SUSPICION.

Byline: Kathleen Sweeney Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Tests show that a colony of bees removed in Saugus were an Africanized hybrid - the first discovery of ``killer bees'' migrating to the region.

The bees, discovered about two weeks ago, may have traveled up a wash into the Marshall Way neighborhood where they built a watermelon-size hive under the roof of a house, said Gary Fisher of the Newhall/Valencia Exterminating Co. But exactly where they came from, whether San Bernardino County or elsewhere, is uncertain.

``It's the first known incident of Africanized honeybees to be in the area,'' he said.

Fisher, who sent a handful of bees to Arizona to be tested, said the aggressive bees were known to be Africanized because their wings under a microscope are smaller than those of the common European honeybees.

But Fisher found a mix of bees with large and small wings, which means this is a second or third generation of Africanized bees, he said. This happens because the ``killer bees'' are early risers and mate with the European queen bee before the others, creating the hybrid.

``The majority of the bees will be Africanized,'' Fisher said of future generations of bees.

Africanized bees, which have been migrating from South America since the 1950s after the hybrids were bred, look just like European honeybees to the naked eye, experts said.

The ``killer bees'' started migrating into South Texas in 1990, and are moving west into Arizona and Southern California. They were discovered in San Bernardino County in 1998. Experts are uncertain how far north they will travel.

The migration, however, is believed to be slower than once projected because the Mojave Desert is difficult to cross, forcing the bees to look for wash areas or aquifers, Fisher said.

They distinguish themselves from the European honeybees by their aggressiveness toward anything that appears to be a threat, experts said. They can sense people or animals about 50 feet from a hive and will attack in a swarm up to one-half mile from their home.

They will first send off warning signals to the intruder, bouncing off the animal or person without stinging, Fisher said. If the intruder doesn't run, a bee will sting in one spot, which sends a signal to other bees to attack in the same area.

Although not every bee in Santa Clarita is Africanized, experts warn residents to be watchful. If a hive is found, call an exterminator to remove it.

``They are the real danger, so be careful of daily activities,'' Fisher said.

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Photo:

(ran in SAC edition only) Exterminator Gary Fisher holds a hive removed in Saugus. Tests have confirmed these were Africanized bees.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer