Hello Barry & All,

> AHB's (whatever that is) are known to be found in the states of
California,
> Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah and Florida. Even found a colony
in  Illinois last year!

AHB has made the *Bee Experts* and AHB predicters wrong. Look at the maps of
projected AHb infestation before AHb entry into the U.S. and now and you can
clearly see when AHB entered South Texas the northern migration slowed and
seemingly stopped.  Why is big unknown.

> How is it that there are supposedly these random boundaries that no AHB's
> have crossed? Example: No AHB's to deal with right around Navasota, TX,
yet  they can be found much further North, even in mountainous areas with
colder  climates?
We really don't know the answer (at least I don't) because AHB migrated
approx 300 miles per year from the release in Brazil each year.  I was one
of the advocates for the American Foulbrood tainted syrup place in the area
of the Panama Canal. I felt they could be eliminated at the narrow land
bridge much easier and cheaper than the trap lines between the U.S. &
Mexico.  I got outvoted so quite a bit of needed bee research money went for
AHB trap lines and upkeep.

> With all the African stock that's been brought in over the years by
various
> researchers and scientists and exchanged with various bee breeders in the
> south, we're suppose to believe that no AHB's exist in the Gulf states
> between Florida and western Texas? This, being a much closer match in
> climate for this bee than other states that are quite different.

Barry you and Dee are going to have to let this subject die or provide at
least one beekeeper to come forward and say he or she  imported or received
A. mellifera S.  from the U.S.D.A.. I have challanged you both before.
Please provide proof instead of opinions and ideas. If you could prove your
theories then maybe Dee *could* ship her queens legally out of the AHB
quarentine area ? Hmmm.
> I have no opinion about Weavers, but only use them as an example in this>
> discussion. Buckfast bees, brought about by Brother Adam, are made up
>>with  bees from Africa. What is the determining factor that promotes this
>bee  (with African genes), yet labels another bee a stones throw away as
being  worthy of eradication?
The traits of A.mellifera scutellata have got no place in commercial
migratory beekeeping. It is against the law to keep A.mellifera s. in
Missouri. ALL 200 members of the Missouri Beekeepers Assn. voted to ban the
bee.
> Lots more questions but would like some feedback first from the list. Lots
> of fuzzy math, it seems to me.
You can keep AHB. These are not bees I want to work with. If the SMR queens
work out my bees will be varroa free and I will not have had to melt ten
years worth of comb and put up with AHB genes like in Arizona.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri
thinking:
"Two sides to every coin"