Is KILLER BEE Honey Dangerous?!

(bees buzzing) - Oh boy, starting to get invaded. Holy Mackerel. Dude, you're like covered in bees right now, man. Oh my god, my legs are shaking. (percussion music) (calm music) - A light breeze runs across the desert sand as the morning sun peeks over the mountains. All seems calm among the rocky outcrops, but hidden among the crevices and ridges, a mighty giant sleeps peacefully. Disturbing this creature by accident would literally be a nightmare. Intentionally upset him and you will probably seal your own fate. Oh boy, starting to get invaded. Holy Mackerel. - It sounds like I'm talking about a creature from a storybook, but this is not a creature of myths and traditions.

It is a very real animal that, since the mid-1980s, has become one of the most notorious threats in the Southwest. Assasins bees. So what is a

killer

bee? Well, to simplify it, it's basically a hybrid between an African and a European bee. They are generally more defensive, faster, and more aggressive than other bee species. Tucson, Arizona, is just one of the places that has recently fallen under the cloud of

killer

bees, and today we'll be working alongside bee specialist Chris Britton. Chris monitors several hives that exist naturally on the mountainsides, and our goal is to extract aged

honey

from a wild hive so we can compare it to locally grown

honey

and determine which is more delicious.

Using a drone will help us locate the hive and determine exactly how we should approach it. This is an incredibly

dangerous

mission, so to protect ourselves from the thousands of bees that will swarm and try to sting us, we will wear bee suits. We are taking extra precautions by taping the wrists and ankles to ensure that bees cannot get into the suits. Okay, so this is the moment of truth. We are fully equipped. This will probably be one of the craziest and most

dangerous

things we've ever done in an episode of Breaking Trail. The following scene was filmed under the supervision of bee specialists.

Never approach a hive in the wild. - Okay, Chris, so this is our last checkpoint, the closest we feel comfortable getting without the bees swarming out. Now, I'm looking at the hive and I see that there is a lighter colored honeycomb on the top, in the middle it's slightly golden and then on the bottom, it almost looks brown. What is the best area to extract combs and honey? - We will go directly to the center of this hive. - Well. - So, neither in darkness nor in complete light. That light thing won't have anything in it.

Right now, the bees are working more on the layers of the comb, so you're basically going to go right to the middle, where it's a little bit brown, but it starts to spin a little bit, and there's a little bit of honey clogged up right there. It may be last season's honey, but that's right there where the bees will be working and we can go in and grab a bunch. - It's good, awesome. Well, I think at this point, let's go into the hive and get this honey. They are all ready? Cutting the hive does not cause harm to the bees and honey producers often use this extraction method.

In nature, hives are often invaded by animals, which, in turn, causes an increase in productivity and within days the hive will be completely rebuilt. Well, I'm right under the hive. Oh. Check it out. I don't want to get stung. The bees start to come out. You can see the entire comb here. - And here. - They definitely know we're here. - Do you hear them? - I can hear them, they're going crazy. - How difficult is it? - Wow, it's hard, very waxy. Oh boy, starting to get invaded. Holy Mackerel. I am nervous. You see, they are trying to get through the mask. (bees buzz loudly) Here they come.

This is the outer layer here. Dude, you're like covered in bees right now, man. - We have to hurry. (intense music) - We are absolutely surrounded by killer bees right now. Fortunately, they don't sting through the suit. I have a couple of good combs, but I already left here. Here we go, I found a honeycomb with honey. In fact, some stingers are going through my suit. They're biting me right now. Oh. God, okay, okay, I'm going to cut a big section of comb right here in the middle, can you see this? All that is full of honey.

I'm going to cut that off and we'll get out of here. Ugh, it's sticky! This is it, this is good baby! Oh, look at that! Well. Court! That's pure, golden honey! Alright, I'll put it here inside the glass jar. Yes, let's back up a little. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be here and encounter a swarm like this. This could definitely kill you. We are probably surrounded by 30,000 bees right now. I mean, it's absolutely crazy. They are attacking the GoPro, they are attacking the cameras. - The microphone. - The microphones, everything is being bombarded by bees right now. - It's hard to even touch the camera.

They are just covered in bees. You can't even tip the... - It's crazy. Alright, look at that, that's what we want, right there. Woo, that is absolutely full of honey. So what are we doing here, Chris? - I'm basically covering the air with smoke, that way we can make the bees change their pheromones so you can move away. - Because they will follow us to our car. - Oh, they'll bite you until you get to the car. Africanized bees know no limits. - I can't even imagine what it would be like to be here and find a swarm like this.

This could definitely kill you. Wow. Well, we escaped the swarm of killer bees. Now, the next step is to compare killer bee honey with European bee honey and see which one tastes better. To the winner goes all the loot. What you are seeing here are two jars of delicious raw honey. Now, right here we have honey bee, and on this side, killer bee honey. Now, we certainly had to go through a tough ordeal to get both honeys. They're all in my face! We are absolutely surrounded by killer bees right now. But it was worth it, because this is the moment we've all been waiting for.

The comparison between killer bee honey and honey bee. Which is better? Are you ready to find out? - Oh yes, I'm ready. Can we do the taste test too? - Oh yes, you guys are going to try this too. Well, I'll start with the honey. We take our caps off here. Wow, that smells incredibly fresh. A big spoonful right there. - Oh, wow. - I just do it, right? - I think you're going for everything. - Wow. That's sticky. Oh, so sweet, I can taste all those honey granules, they're starting to disintegrate in my mouth. Wow.

That's delicious, my goodness. That is some amazing honey. It may be the best honey I have ever tasted. Here, let me put some of this honey on the tip of the knife. Go ahead, Mark, just get some of the squid out of there. - Do not cut me. - That's good, huh? - Wow, you could eat that alone all day. - Wow, I had a big spoonful of that. - Are you already feeling the sugar rush? - Yes, I think I'm about to do it. This is what really excites me. Let me get a big one... - Get a sticky one. - A little bit of that here, let me get a little bit out of my hand.

Yeah, I'm going all Pooh Bear, guys. Let me put my paw in there. Oh yeah. I always wanted to do that. Look at that darling. Look at the different colors of honey. You have the darker honey and you have the true light golden honey. Do you think it will make me vomit? - No, man, it's like candy. - Oh! That's incredibly sweet! - Put the rest there. - Can you do the whole comb? Hey, Pooh Bear, how does it taste? - Very sweet. - Very sweet indeed. - This almost makes my eyes water, it's so sweet. - Bravo, I'm impressed.

That was quite the honeycomb you just had there. - Let me clean my face a little here. A little more presentable. Wow, that's so sugary! I'm going to have high blood sugar for hours right now. You guys want to try this, right? - Yes. - Take your finger out, there. Wait until it gets in your teeth. As soon as it reaches your lips. - Wow. - Good? Now, both honeys taste amazing, but really? I think killer bee honey is a little more flavorful and a little more... It gave me a surge of energy the moment it hit my mouth.

But I think both types would look great in anything you put them in. However, getting killer bee honey is something I would never recommend anyone watching and trying to do. Probably the best way to do this is to buy it from a local honey producer and have something pure and grainy, like this. And you put it on toast, you can put it... Whatever, honey goes well with absolutely everything. Ahhh, I can totally feel a sugar rush coming on right now, that's crazy. My hands are so sticky. - Hey, Pooh Bear. - That? - Do you have enough? - No!

How come that silly old bear stuck his paw in that honey pot all the time? - Yesterday the bees didn't sting his paw. - Yes, right now I have a fat leg. Look at this, two honey bees at the same time. (men shouting and complaining) Sugar rush! Full honey face. - Mario, there are no bears here, right? ♪ Climbing a honey tree, Pooh Bear, I know it's out there ♪ It's me and it's you, oh fool oh Winnie the Pooh - Well, I'd say we lasted long enough to have both honeys around for the cameramen. Aside from wearing the bee beard, which got me stung 32 times, and then climbing the side of a cliff to extract honeycomb and honey from a hive of killer bees, we went through everything to do this taste test, and in the end of the day, I have to say that killer bee honey is actually the tastiest.

I'm Coyote Peterson, brave bee, stay wild, see you on the next adventure. A handful more. Ooh, that's a good thing, honey. (inspirational music) There are many misconceptions surrounding the Africanized bee. Or, as many have vilified them, as killer bees. Almost all attacks occur when a hive is accidentally disturbed, or a swarm is caused by a non-professional attempting to exterminate it. And although many people are stung each year, very few deaths are actually reported. If you see a swarm or encounter a hive in the wild, move quickly and quietly in the opposite direction. And if you're looking for delicious honey, well, my advice is to support local and buy it from a honey farmer.

If you thought being surrounded by killer bees was intense, make sure you go back and see what happened when I tried to trade my shaggy beard for a bee beard. And don't forget, subscribe! So you can join me and the team this season of Breaking Trail! They're all over my face! My eyes! Oh man, my face hurts. - You should see the stinger in your neck.