> Their concern though is not regarding the spread of disease among kept colonies, but rather the proliferation Africanized bees in that region.

This is the same rationale given throughout the African Bee Belt, although in Arizona there are no laws prohibiting the keeping of AHB in hives. Again, the only way to be sure bees are free from disease or -- unwanted characteristics or African genes -- is to have them in real bee hives. 

In NYS, there are no laws mandating the killing of feral bees, per se, but the law could easily be interpreted to include feral bees as a nuisance. African bees are prohibited in the state, as a "harmful subspecies" as well as an invasive pest. 

> Section 173.  Eradication of bee diseases and certain insects affecting bees. 

>   The commissioner shall have access to all apiaries, structures, appliances or premises where bees or honey or comb used in apiaries may be.  He may open any hive, colony, package or receptacle of any kind containing or which he has reason to believe contains any bees, comb, bee products, used beekeeping appliances, or anything else which is capable of transmitting contagious or infectious diseases of bees or which is capable of harboring insects or parasitic organisms adversely affecting bees, or species or subspecies of bees ...

> Section 174.  Keeping of diseased and banned bees prohibited; existence of disease to be reported.  

> 1.  No person shall keep in his possession or under his care any colony of bees affected with a contagious or infectious disease or infested by insects or parasitic organisms adversely affecting bees, or by species or subspecies of bees which have been determined by the commissioner to cause injury, directly or indirectly, to this state’s useful bee population, crops, or other plants.

> 7.  Persons keeping bees shall keep them in hives of such construction that the frames and combs may be easily removed without damaging them for examination of the brood for the purpose of determining whether disease exists in the brood.

> 5.  If any inspection made by the commissioner or his duly authorized representative discloses that any apiary, appliances, structures, colonies, or comb constitute a nuisance within the meaning of this section, the commissioner or his duly authorized representatives may with the cooperation and consent of the owner or person in charge immediately proceed to abate the nuisance by destroying or treating such colonies and equipment, or he may order the owner or person in charge to destroy or treat such colonies ... 

>  6.  ... No damage shall be awarded to the owner for the loss of any apiary, bees, hives, apiary appliance, or bee product destroyed under the provisions of this section or any regulation or order made in pursuance thereof. 

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