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Incident Record

MSU Extension corrected reports claiming Africanized honey bees were established in Mississippi

MSU Extension stated that there was no evidence Africanized honey bees were established in Mississippi and advised that people should still be cautious around honey bee colonies because defense behavior varies.

Record ID: MS-STATE-2025-0626
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This record is part of a first-pass incident research dataset. Records, categories, and source notes may be updated as additional information is reviewed and verified.
Date 6/26/2025
Location Statewide, MS, Statewide County, MS
State MS
Record Type Detection / Context / Advisory
Trigger / Activity Detection / Public Advisory
Severity Context / Advisory
Bee ID Status Reported Africanized
Aggression Classification Not an Attack / Context Record

Incident Summary

MSU Extension stated that there was no evidence Africanized honey bees were established in Mississippi and advised that people should still be cautious around honey bee colonies because defense behavior varies.

Public-Safety Lesson

Public messaging should distinguish between AHB establishment, isolated AHB detections, and severe defensive behavior by any honey bee colony.

Impact Flags

Human Fatality No
Human Hospitalized No
Animal Fatality No
Responder Involved No

Source Information

Source: Mississippi State University Extension

Source Strength: A - Official / Government