Costa Rica’s honey bees are Africanized, the result of a hybrid that spread north through the Americas from the 1950s. On a flower one is just a bee. The difference is what happens when a colony believes it is under attack: many more bees respond, faster, and they follow further.
Where you’ll see it
Everywhere there are flowers, and that is fine. The concern is colonies, which favour hollow trees, wall cavities, roof spaces, water meter boxes and abandoned anything. Swarms drift through in the dry season looking for a home.
What to know
Leave individual bees alone and they leave you alone. Never approach a hanging swarm or a hive, never let a dog near one, and never try to remove or spray a colony yourself. Lawn mowers and strimmers near a hidden hive are a classic trigger.
If an attack starts, run in a straight line for a building or vehicle, cover your face, and do not stop or swat. Multiple stings, or any breathing difficulty, means a hospital. Established colonies are removed by beekeepers and pest people who know exactly how; ask a neighbour for the number.
