KILLER BEE RISKS ALL BUZZ BUMBLED NAME HYPED DANGER OF NEW INSECT.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - If a bee is buzzing in this valley, the likelihood is that it's the infamous Africanized ``killer'' that caused such a stir in the 1990s when experts warned that a dangerous new breed of honeybee was migrating to the Southwest.

As it turns out, the killer bees have proved to be more annoying than lethal, according to experts and local exterminator Gary Fisher, who says the Africanized honeybees are more aggressive than their native predecessor, the European honeybee, but not deadly.

``We've had lots and lots of swarming pretty much throughout the entire winter,'' said Fisher, owner of Newhall/Valencia Exterminating Co. ``We've been getting four to six calls a week. Bees found in people's walls, in their drainage areas, in their water-meter areas, and they've been swarming more often.''

The breed of bee that Fisher is talking about was once feared to be a deadly hazard.

Africanized bees were intentionally bred in the 1950s in South America from imported sub-Saharan African bees that are known to be more aggressive, and more productive, than the honeybees native to America.

The new breed of bees developed a bad reputation for their hot tempers - if a hive is disturbed, Africanized bees will attack and swarm more viciously than other honeybees. They are known to defend their hives in up to a 1 1/2-mile radius, according to Eric Mussen, a professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis.

The bees have killed dogs, farm animals and on rare occasion even humans, Mussen said.

``The number of (human) deaths since these bees came into California is two or three or something. They've been pretty rough on larger dogs, though, because larger dogs don't tend to run when they get stung. There have been numerous cases of large dogs lost.''

According to officials at the Los Angeles County Vector Control District, the danger posed by Africanized bees is largely overblown.

``We had to discontinue our Africanized honeybee service because ... they are not considered a significant public health risk,'' said district spokeswoman Stephanie Miladin. ``About 80 percent of our bees are now Africanized. They're here and they're here to stay and we have to learn how to live with them.''

And apparently, Santa Clarita Valley residents are having little trouble coping with their new winged neighbors.

Hundreds of Africanized bee colonies have been found in the valley but Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital's emergency room has not seen one severe sting case this year, according to hospital officials.

Nonetheless, the bees' prolific hive-building has been apparent.

Tony Pipitone, who has lived in the same Valencia house for 30 years, watched recently as exterminators sawed holes through his bedroom wall in search of what he believed was a large hive.

``It's unbelievable how many people I've talked to who have had this same thing done,'' Pipitone said.

But neither Pipitone nor his wife has been stung by the swarm of bees that emanated from above his garage all of last week.

``My wife is more concerned about the house,'' he said.

Calling the bees ``killers'' is a misnomer that has been noted by experts and even entertainers. In his 2002 film, ``Bowling for Columbine,'' documentary filmmaker Michael Moore railed against what he called a culture of fear in America. The widespread alarm over Africanized ``killer'' bees - which first came into the United States in 1990 - was one of his primary examples.

``For many years, we've been told these terrible bees are coming. And in fact, they were coming and they are more defensive. However, as we've seen since they've arisen, here the serious incidents are rare,'' said Kirk Visscher, a professor of entomology at the University of California, Riverside.

``The picture painted about their behavior was a little grimmer than reality.''

And according to Mussen, the bees didn't even get the name ``killer'' for killing humans or animals, but rather, it is the translation of their Portuguese name that meant assassin for a tendency to take over European bee hives.

``Some people think that that was just an unfortunate translation,'' Mussen said.

Nicholas Grudin, [phone]

nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Gerardo Castro of Newhall/Valencia Exterminating dons a protective suit before cutting into a wall in search of a hive.

(2 -- ran in SAC edition only) Exterminator Gerardo Castro zips up as he gets ready to encounter the bees, which are rarely lethal to humans.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer