Certainly, the whole AHB issue has been way overblown in the media. Still, it isn’t a non-problem and as the bees advance more people will die. Probably the worst problem will be the demonization of EHBs along with AHBs. The last thing we need is yet another “plague” reducing bee populations.

That is all i wanted to mention. Exactly. It is a threat, but as usual way overblown by the Media - especialy US-Media. And as i frequently visit the US and watch the quality of the Mass-Media there (i mean TV), i just wanted to point out, that it is not that bad, that people living in Arizona need to ware Bee-Protection when they leave the house. AFAIK, if you do not attack them (the AHB), they won’t attack you. However you seem to have researched this pretty deep, so you are well aware of the facts.

That, combined with the much stronger defense response of the AHB, makes the bee significantly more volatile in urban settings. In particular, EHB hives in cities are quite an asset to the gardens and potted plants in the area (http://www.citybees.com/, for example). If an otherwise stable hive becomes africanized, that same hive can become quite a threat.

The AHB does quite well in a totally rural setting. Unfortunately, less and less of the honey producing habitat in the united states is “totally rural”.

Certainly, the whole AHB issue has been way overblown in the media. Still, it isn’t a non-problem and as the bees advance more people will die. Probably the worst problem will be the demonization of EHBs along with AHBs. The last thing we need is yet another “plague” reducing bee populations.

So don’t let the Mass-Media influence you too much with their usual “cause a climate of fear” kind of reporting (not a native english, i can’t put this in the right words).