What is the decline in the global population of honey bees?

Has the killer bee population been effected by the honey bee colony decline?

• I have noticed a drastic decline of our western honey bees, and I was wondering if the killer bees are effected as are the domesticated western honey bees? Although fortunately, I've never been around killer bees; I've heard a good deal about them, but not lately. Especially, since the honey bee decline has taken place.

• Answer:

  No,not here in North America that anyone is aware of.. Of course, there are no definitive studies because the "Killer bees" swarm so often and are not the most social of the bee populations. The Killer Bee population continues to grow and spread throughout the Southern states. Studies by both Root and Dadant indicate from the movements of the killer bees in South American they will eventually occupy the entire United States except a small portion of Norther Minnesota because of the extreme Temperatures on the Canadian Shield. Some studies show that as the Killer Bees interbreed with the bees that can survive this cold, once a hive has lived through the first winter subsequent members will be able to bridge the temperature barrier. Studies show that the native Killer Bees in Africa are exhibiting a decline in population just as bad as our European bees are world wide. Their decline is not caused by the same vectors as the European bees. The parasitic bee known as the "Cape Bee" sends workers into the African bee hive and disrupts the Killer Bee colony so severely it collapses. Although the "Small Hive Beetle" a parasite of the "Cape Bee" is now causing considerable damage to the American Bee populations, no studies have been initiated to see if we have Cape Bees in America. The scientists doing the studies on the hive beetle say they must have hitched a ride on boats or something. They certainly don't want to admit they brought them over on cape bees they were studying? So no cape bees have been found. Wink ,wink., just one of their parasites the "Small hive beetle." The killer bee evolved with the Small hive beetle and its hives aren't strongly effected by them.