>>...are all tied to surviving in temperate woodland conditions.
>How is lowered defensiveness tied to survival? 

My reasoning is simple.  African bees are hyper when it comes to nest 
defense.  In Africa, there are many more predators than in Europe and 
being hyperdefensive may be a requirement for survival there.  
However, when African bees kill a horse or a pet in the US it does 
absolutely nothing to boost their survival.  On the contrary, it's an 
overreaction that needlessly destroys valuable resources (ie. worker 
bees by the thousands).

While in Africa, worker numbers can be rebuild on good forage in 
season, this sort of blind defensiveness in Europe would deprive 
colonies of much needed workers in Europe's forests where significant 
forage availability is limited to spring.  A colony facing a cold 
winter in the temperate European region, couldn't afford losing a 
significant portion of their workers if it wanted to survive the cold 
till spring.  This African trait did not cut it in the old, cold 
European forests. 

>>I am not saying that they are not less defensive, nor am I saying 
that when moving to the forests of europe that they did not become 
less defensive...

I believe the European environment was tough on the overdefensive 
colonies from Africa and selected for colonies with a more targeted 
defense.

>>...the gentility we see may be the result of our tinkering through 
the millenia.

Until the skeps, Europeans 'managed' colonies in scattered bee trees 
that they located in forests.  The harvesting of honey was often 
rather unmanaged and brutal, often resulting in the kill of 
colonies.  The dead colonies were naturally replaced by swarms the 
next season.  

In my opinion, bees' defense evolved more in the face of animal 
predators - rather than humans - that could be discouraged by a high 
level of defense.  If man could be discouraged, his unsuccessful 
attempts at robbbing would have selected for a more defensive stock.  
But man was the most persistant predator who also found smoke and 
other aids to help his robbing.  A colony robbed out by man in Europe 
in the 2nd half of season, stood very little chance of rebuilding and 
preping for winter.  It's genetics would have been lost in the winter.

Waldemar

PS.  The above are my personal opinions or speculation. :)  I have no 
actual proof that this was how honey bees evolved in Europe.

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