Hi Guys,

There was an interesting American Bee Journal article describing what has
happened to feral bee hunting in rural Mexico since the AHB arrived. Before
the AHB arrived, traditional harvesting honey was a common diversion. Today,
it's a bad and painful joke for those who have dealt with the AHB. Feral
honey harvesting is no longer a leisure activity.

As a commercial beekeeper, I've worked all kinds of hot hives over three
decades of beekeeping. But I've never worked any like the AHB's. They are
very easily controlled with smoke most of the time. But not all of the time.

But the slightest hive disturbance, without smoke, can set them off like no
other bees I've encountered. Gently removing a lid without smoke can cause
an attack that is instant and vicious. They will kill any sparrow/robin
sized bird that flies through the area. They will sting the black plastic
molding around the windows and doors on a bee truck. They will force a
normally suited/veiled/experienced beekeeper with his smoker into the saftey
of his truck in a few minutes. They will harass anything that moves within a
100 yards of the hive. And they will continue this activity unabated until
sunset.

I can tell everyone that cell size has no effect on this kind of behavior as
my AHBs were on small cell comb until I requeened them.

It is absolutely irresponsible to negate the effects this kind of bee can
have to the general publics health and safety. A beekeeper can handle them
in a remote location. But they spell big trouble for other people in other
areas.

And it's almost inconceivable to think that the experiences of thousands of
beekeepers, south of our borders, can be written off as a political/economic
ploy or plot without any factual basis. Those beekeepers who have continued
to keep AHBs have changed their ways or they are no longer keeping bees.

Every year, several people are killed by bees in the Southwest. And these
people die from massive stinging and not allergic reactions. I don't know of
anyone dying from any kind of bee sting in Wyoming in my memory. Something
is going on!

Beekeepers who understand the problem, can be the first line of defense for
the general public. These beekeepers could be seen as protecting public safety. 

But those who minimize, deny or negate the problem aren't doing beekeepers
any favors. And I sure wouldn't want them keeping bees, in a AHB area,
around my neighborhood, my aged parents, my wife, my children, my cattle,
pets or my friends. Anti beekeeping laws might be needed in such cases as
those who don't see a problem sure couldn't help solve it. And they probably
wouldn't have much concern for public saftey.

And, if I as a beekeeper feel this way, image how the general public, who
are mostly allergic and automatically associate bee with sting, would feel? 

Regards
Dennis
Thinking that any beekeeper in an AHB area who puts his head in bag on this
one is going to get really stung up someplace else. At least according to
the ABJ article, he will :>)

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