For those who might think that exaggerations are being made about the
uniquely twisted history of apiary inspection in NY, please read the two
news articles linked below.  The number of petty scandals surrounding the
apiary inspection program could have only been increased if NY Ag & Markets
had hired Charlie Sheen, Paula Deen, and the entire cast of "Desperate
Housewives".

http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=69826
85
http://tinyurl.com/mx4mfsp

http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=64587
79
http://tinyurl.com/kqapnko

Of course, some of the inspectors were of exceptional caliber, and of course
most any apiary inspection program under normal conditions would make a
positive contribution to the overall community of beekeepers.   But this was
not "most any program", and the conditions were not "normal".

The traditional apiary inspection program strategy aimed at controlling
foulbrood, which only "survived" as long as infected colonies and/or their
combs survived.  One of the biggest factors keeping foulbrood rare among all
the novices is simple - only the best novices are keeping their hives alive
long enough for foulbrood to become a concern, and they are attentive enough
to swap out and scrap a frame because it MIGHT have AFB.  I've told several
beekeepers "nope, that's EFB, not early AFB", and their response has been to
scrap the frame anyway, "just in case we are wrong".

So, what has replaced NY Bee Inspectors in the fight against AFB?  Varroa
and Wax Moths.

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