John,
Having worked with AHB in Costa Rica, Panama, and Brazil, I was going to
write you a LONG, LONG reply stating that you needed more knowledge about the
AHB and the public fear of bees, and I delayed the writing thinking of how to
do it without offending you.  I am glad that I waited; because some other
responders have said
many of the things I would have said.  However,  would like to mention
several points.

The great majority of our bee inspectors all across the entire country have
never
worked with AHB; and it is my belief that they would quit their job if AHB
came into their area.

Now in 2000, quite a few states have either minimized or discontinued bee
inspection supposedly due to the successful control of AFB disease, but I
think the real reason is the voting public AND HENCE THE POLITICIANS, have
zero interest in
honey bees and wish they would just go away from their state.

Hollywood movies with the inherent lies about "killer bees" have literally
frightened the ADULT American public to the point that almost all would be
most happy to see the demise of all honey bees, and depend on imported honey
for those
you want honey.  Haven't you noticed in conversations that literally ALL
adults
state that they are ALLERGIC to bee stings.  Nobody said this 50 years ago.

Today the biggest concern of the beekeeper is the fact that he is going to be
ZONED out of beekeeping in his town, county or even state by the fear of the
public about bee stings and hence he desire of the politicians to collect
their vote.  The worst part about it is that most beekeepers are reluctant or
too lazy to speak up in public, in schools, at town meetings, etc., about the
value of honey bees notably in human
 food pollination.  I won the famous Devilbiss Award in 1998 for talking to
6000
school students about the value of bees.  Maryland has over 4 million people,
but I
talked to only 6000, and no one else talked at all.  That might mean a vote
against
beekeeping of 6000 for and 3,994,000 against.

I think the commercial beekeepers are "laying low" and being very quiet in
fear of
being put out of business by the vote of a poorly informed electorate.

Having kept bees for 68 years, maybe I shouldn't worry about it because I
will be dead, but that is just not my nature.  Stupidity, dumbness, or lack
of knowledge is never an excuse for anybody's actions; but I think that the
lack of beekeepers getting on their soapboxes and explaining the value of
apis mellifera to the American public is almost sinful; and I get frustrated
when someone says "let GEORGE do it," because maybe they mean ME.

I hope I have helped.

George Imirie