>All feral AHB in the US survive treatment free. The problem might lay 
in the combination of treatment free and (bee)keeping.

To a certain extent you may be correct.  Beekeepers are part of the 
problem.  We keep bees in large expandable hives, try to minimize 
swarming and try to save every hive.  Feral AHB generally have smaller 
fixed hives, swarm often and don't care if some hives fail (taking the 
pests with them) because the swarming results in more new hives than 
those lost.    Not to mention the stress beekeepers put on bees by 
moving hives, inspecting, harvesting honey, etc.

-Tim

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