What has the African honey bee meant to the South and Central American general public?
Like the beekeeper, the general public was unaware of the spread of wild, defensive AHB. As the wild population expanded in size and filled a large ecological vacuum, more bee-human contact was inevitable. The European bee is fairly selective for nest sites, but the AHB is not so particular. They nested in unexpected places. Most people were ignorant of bee behavior. Those with bee experience tended to treat AHB as they had the resident European bee. With the AHB nesting in a wide variety of sites, along with their erratic defensive behavior, a substantial number of stinging incidents involving both humans and animals resulted. These incidents were often sensationalized by the local press. Once the invading wave passed, gradually the general public and public agencies had to contend with the reality that a large number of defensive honey bees would be a permanent part of their environment.
