CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : ‘Killer Bee’ Swarm in Mexicali Confirmed

State officials have confirmed that a hive found in Mexicali earlier this month contained “killer bees,” but said there is no reason to panic. The California Department of Food and Agriculture said the Mexican government verified one of the two swarms discovered in spools of electrical wire imported from Brazil included Africanized honeybees. Mexican officials destroyed the bees after they attacked workers who disturbed their nests. Samples of the dead bees were sent to Mexico City for identification. California agricultural officials said the discovery wasn’t expected to speed the entry of the bees into the state. Africanized honeybees entered the United States three years ago in Texas, and are expected to reach Southern California next spring or summer.