After I posted the info on African bees I realized that the report was somewhat dated. More recent work by Ernesto Guzman-Novoa, however, reinforces the conclusions made by the earlier report

> The Mexican beekeeping industry is currently affected by a variety of problems, including the negative effects of Africanized bees, which are considered as one of the most damaging factors to the industry. The presence of Africanized bees in Mexico has forced a series of changes in colony management.

> Unfortunately, these bees have more disadvantages than advantages for beekeeping practices of economic importance. Many commercial honey-producing operations have disappeared, and many colonies have been lost since the arrival of Africanized bees in Mexico; honey production and honey exports have decreased too. Additionally, hundreds of persons and thousands of animals have died as a consequence of stinging incidents due to their high defensive behavior. 

> Mexico’s beekeeping is at the present time more complex and costly than before the arrival of Africanized bees, which has forced the adoption of measures to reduce the impact of these bees. Several studies have shown that the problems these bees have caused are complex, but technically manageable. 

> However, the changes in management and selective breeding practices that are necessary to control these bees are expensive, and thus, the prices of hive products and pollination services should remain high to afford the cost of these measures.

Colonization, impact and control of Africanized honey bees in Mexico
Ernesto Guzmán-Novoa, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
Vet. Méx., 42 (2) 2011

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