Bees That Killed Dog Not `Killer Bees,' Tests Confirm

Thursday, June 15th 2006, 6:12 am

By: News On 6

SAND SPRINGS, Okla. (AP) The state Agriculture Department confirms that testing by the US Department of Agriculture confirms the bees that killed a 140-pound dog here last month were common European honey bees.

The Great Dane died May 22nd, about 30 minutes after being stung nearly 400 times. State agriculture officials sent dead bees to a federal lab in Arizona to ensure they did not contain strains of Africanized honey bees, or so-called ``killer bees.''

Agency spokesman Jack Carson said on Tuesday the test results confirmed DNA testing by Oklahoma State University that found they were European honey bees.

The sting of Africanized bees is virtually identical to that of European honeybees but Africanized bees are more easily agitated and tend to attack in greater numbers than European honeybees.