>> However, if we eliminate all colonies with any evidence of AHB, no  
one  can say (read this as 'sue us') for failure to protect the public

So, the inspectors and the researchers are better off if they do not see 
any AHB unless it is in their face and they are forced to see it.

Bureaucracies seldom willingly see any problem they cannot solve 
heroically and be rewarded for managing, and announcing publicly and 
officially that all the US is 'Africanized' would not be popular with 
anyone.   Once again we have a popular fiction that suits many interests 
at odds with reality and no one really cares.

Facing the facts would also make attempts to quarantine and manage the 
heavily Africanized areas difficult.  For example, Canada allows queen 
imports from non-AHB regions under specified rules, so discrediting or 
deprecating those boundaries would run against many interests.

After the ARS -- prior to AHB arrival -- found that the AHB threat 
justified generous funding and raised importance and credibility, there 
is reluctance to acknowledge that AHB is now widely distributed --  
especially as there is no solution.

Fortunately for bee science funding, a new crisis has come along just in 
time to keep the bee science funding from evaporating entirely.

Acknowledging the AHB dispersal situation is like that of acknowledging 
the radiation arriving daily from Japan.  The authorities'  reaction to 
increasing radiation levels in North America was to shut down monitoring 
stations and/or increase allowable exposure limits.    The inspection 
services have no way of dealing with an invisible 'contaminant'.

We're sitting ducks.  No sense getting the public worked up about it 
they think, and they are probably right.

 >> Plus, AHB colonies may be reasonably gentle during the first year or 
two,  but suddenly become much more aggressive as the colony becomes 
well  established.

Additionally, aggressiveness genes may not be expressed in every 
generation.   The problem is frequency.  In EHB, sometimes we see a 
really, really mean hive, but it is rare.  But it happens.  With AHB in 
the mix, the probability of rogue hives goes up, or so I have been 
told.  A gentle colony may not have gentle offspring.

 >> So, the bee inspector management choices tend to be black and white.
 >> Either eliminate any AHB, even questionable colonies OR eliminate 
only the more
 >> aggressive colonies.

See no evil, hear no evil...

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