Summer of Killer Bees

Summer of killer bees? Aggressive swarms plague Texas, leaving one dead and many others injured

While the global decline in bees continues to puzzle scientists, the Lone Star State appears to be undergoing a boom in its population of so-called "killer bees" — those aggressive honey bees that have slowly made their way north after escaping from a Brazilian cross-breeding experiment in 1957.

Texas has been making national headlines since early June, when a 62-year-old farmer from the Waco area was fatally attacked by a swarm of 40,000 killer bees after he disrupted a hive near an old chicken coop. The expert charged with removing the nest told area reporters that although the sub-species is still rare, he had spotted at least fives hives in the last month.

And the strange bee incidents keep coming:

A woman in Pasadena nearly died on June 18 after bumping into a hive while mowing her lawn,
In Arlington, a couple was severely injured on July 27 as they unsuccessfully attempted to save their two miniature horses from roughly 30,000 killer bees,
A Cypress family discovered mores than 100,000 honey bees living in a front yard tree,
In north Houston on Aug. 1, a dog named Ace was killed by a swarm while an elderly person was sent to the hospital. Days later, hundreds of thousands of bees were removed from a nearby oak tree, along with 250 pounds of honey.

Only at the microscopic level are killer bees distinguishable from the common variety cultivated in North America for centuries. Their stings are no more intense, but their uncanny ability to swarm and chase victims up to a quarter of a mile has earned the killer bee a starring role in plenty of horror films, including 1978's The Swarm (which is set in Houston, no less).

"Try not to panic and swat the bees — just run," says bee expert Claude "Lucky" Griffin.

The notorious killer bees — a cross between European and African strains — first emerged in Texas during the early 1990s and made their Harris County debut in 2001.

Bee expert Claude "Lucky" Griffin, whose Gotcha Pest Control company removed the recent north Houston hive, has dedicated almost three decades to understanding the local bee population. He tells CultureMap that he's noted a rise in killer bees throughout the region in the last five years.

As far as advice is concerned, he says the best defense is to maintain your home and yard to prevent the bees from setting up shop.

"Whether they're killer bees or not, it's always best to catch hives before they get too big," he recommends.

"All bees are aggressive at various times, but killer bees will just kick your ass . . . Once a hive is disrupted, your best bet is to put your shirt over your head and run like your going for the Heisman Trophy. Try not to panic and swat the bees — just run."

Bee experts remove a killer bee hive in north Houston that injured an elderly man and took the life of a dog.

Gotcha Pest Control removes bees that killed a family dog 1 August 2013 RUN FLAT

Photo courtesy of KHOU Houston Channel 11

Bee experts remove a killer bee hive in north Houston that injured an elderly man and took the life of a dog.

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income analysis

Texas families need to make this much money for one parent to stay home

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

As the cost of raising a child balloons in major cities like Houston, many families are weighing the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas — not just Houston — that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support a stay-at-home partner and a child, the report found. If two parents worked in the household, necessitating some additional costs like childcare and transportation, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in Houston, however, is somewhat more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $21,868 to raise a child in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts, where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report acknowledges ways families are working to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family