"Because of the increasing population we are turning all non-agricutural and idle land into crop land to accommodate the growing human development," he said.

Loss of habitat also has decreased the wildflower growth. When the bees gather nectar from one type of crop and not enough wildflowers, they experience the same poor diets and imbalance that many Americans have.

The last reason for bee decline Kim cited is the global trafficking of pathogens.

"Airplanes are bringing in all kinds of disease propagated throughout the world," Kim said.

African honey bees were found in Pottawatomie County in 2004. They have been sighted in Cleveland and Payne counties, Kim said.

In 1957, a Brazilian bee researcher wanted to invigorate the European bees, Kim said. An African drone escaped and the bees have been migrating north 200 miles per year. Kim said he, and other experts, thought the Oklahoma winters were too cold. Most of the African bees have been found in New Mexico, Arizona, California and are now spreading to Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida but are gradually moving north.

Kim thinks the African gene is dominant but with the recessive European gene, there is a diluting affect going on "which is good."

Three years ago, Jim and Jo Mustoe, who live at 24th Avenue SE and Tecumseh Road noticed there were a lot of bees buzzing around a window on the north side of their home. The bees didn't bother them so the Mustoes didn't bother the bees.

He nor his wife have gotten stung and the bees don't seem to bother their two dogs, Shadow and Tadpole.

But last summer Jim had to wait until dark when the bees were settled to mow that part of his yard. This summer the bees have stung the person who mows their yard.

"The bees haven't been much of a problem until this summer so we didn't deal with it," Jim Mustoe said. "We have to deal with it now."

Jim Mustoe worked at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History for eight years. He was there a couple of week ago telling another facility member about his bee problem. The facility memeber told Mustoe a mutual friend had had Kim remove the bees from her house last spring.

Kim found two colonies of Italian bees at the Mustoe home, one of 15,000 that were 2-and-a-half-years-old and the other one, 10,000 about 2 years old, Kim said.

He said the Italian bees were brought to America in 1859 because honey was the only sweetener they had.

Kim was able to harvest about a gallon of honey and he gave the Mustoes a half gallon with the comb.