Queens a lure for buzzing swarm

Where more appropriate to find a swarm of bees than a casino called Four Queens?

Apparently a swarm of bees was found hanging around the downtown hotel-casino Tuesday, but officials with the company declined to comment.

The Nevada Division of Agriculture this morning had not yet received samples of the bees, said Gina Stoneking, an agriculturalist, so no one knows if they're run-of-the-mill honey bees or the more aggressive Africanized honey bee, also called killer bees.

The Africanized honey bee looks almost identical to its tamer European cousin. For identification purposes, the Division of Agriculture staff must use a special 23-step computer program.

They're all honeybees. Africanized bees are called killer bees because they get very defensive when humans or animals approach their hive and will attack with little provocation, officials say.

While their sting is no more venomous than a European honeybee's, they attack in greater numbers and will follow their target for longer distances, resulting in a larger number of stings that can be fatal.

Africanized bees have been documented in the Las Vegas Valley since April, Stoneking said. Since then, hundreds of samples from swarms around the valley have revealed the Africanized bees are firmly entrenched.

But they're not a cause for public fear, she said.

"They're not a major health problem. There have only been six deaths in the last 10 years," she said. "With education and people knowing what to do, they're not a problem. Just keep an eye out."

Stoneking said an organization of pest exterminators has set up a 24-hour hot line for anyone with a bee problem. The number is 385-5853.

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