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WPTZ/NBC) – Call them the "flying dead," but Anthony Cantrell's zombie bees are no joke for the Vermont beekeeping industry.

Cantrell, a Burlington beekeeper, said he noticed about 30 of his bees acting strangely in October. He sent them away for testing after discovering a program called ZomBee Watch. The results were positive -- the first batch of ZomBees discovered in New England.

Vermont's state entomologist, Alan Graham, said he couldn't believe it.

"I hadn't even heard of the term zombie bees," said Graham, who works for Vermont's Agency of Agriculture.

Zombie bees are created by a parasitic fly that lays eggs in the honeybee's stomach.

"The eggs would hatch and the parasites would grow in the abdomen,and it triggers a behavior in the honeybee which is very unusual that makes the honeybee decide that it wants to fly at night," said Graham.

The infected bees also move erratically.

 By Lauren Victory

Read more: http://www.wptz.com/news/vermont-new-york/burlington/state-to-look-...

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. —Call them the "flying dead," but Anthony Cantrell's zombie bees are no joke for Sheri Englert and others in the Vermont beekeeping industry.

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"Unfortunately it is funny to people, but it isn't funny. It's another problem," said Englert, of Vermont Beekeeping Supply.

Cantrell, a Burlington beekeeper, said he noticed about 30 of his bees acting strangely in October. He sent them away for testing after discovering a program called ZomBee Watch. The results were positive -- the first batch of ZomBees discovered in New England.

Vermont's state entomologist, Alan Graham, said he couldn't believe it.

"I hadn't even heard of the term zombie bees," said Graham, who works for Vermont's Agency of Agriculture.

He said zombie bees are created by a parasitic fly that lays eggs in the honeybee's stomach.

"The eggs would hatch and the parasites would grow in the abdomen,and it triggers a behavior in the honeybee which is very unusual that makes the honeybee decide that it wants to fly at night," said Graham.

The infected bees also move erratically. 

Graham hopes to start a ZomBee study in Vermont this summer alongside his mosquito surveillance technicians.

"I don't know if it's a serious problem in Vermont. I doubt it at this point," said Graham.

Even so, with Cantrell's probable sighting in Burlington, Englert is taking the ZomBee buzz seriously.

"It's a problem and we're going to have to face it, and we need to figure it out and not laugh it off," said Englert.

Cantrell said he believes he spotted another bout of ZomBees in November. He continues to monitor his hives each week.

Interested beekeepers can check out ZomBee Watch here: https://www.zombeewatch.org/

Information has been posted to the Vermont Beekeepers Association: http://www.vermontbeekeepers.org/

Read more: http://www.wptz.com/news/vermont-new-york/burlington/state-to-look-...