> Seems nobody cares about SHB. I just found beetles
> this summer in northern Vermont. They were sent
> here in nucs from South Carolina.

If SHB are not firmly established and widespread in
your state, it is well worth having a talk with your
state apiarist to find out the state's stance on this
issue, and lobby for a much more strict enforcement.

There are two possible major vectors for introduction
of the pest, Package/Queen/Nuc producers, and Migratory
Beekeepers, both for-profit businesses subject to
regulation by the state apiarist. Please spare me the
convoluted excuses about the "natural spread" of SHB,
as SHB certainly can walk and fly, but every introduction
in a new far-away area has correlated to the deliberate
movement of live bees by people who can be expected to
know better.

The problem is that the state apiarists in general are
forced into a reactionary mode, so they not only must
close the barn door only after the horse is gone, but
must also clean up the horse droppings.

The other problem that state apiarists have is the
basic "presumption of innocence" in regard to liability
for the costs of a clean-up.  The only "proof" would be
to re-inspect the package/queen/nuc shipper, and find
SHB in his operation.  Anything less, and the shipper
can make transparent excuses, which are just more horse
droppings.

Of course, beekeepers themselves lack the will and the
motivation (and in some cases, the knowledge) to take
the time to rigorously inspect introduced bees from even
KNOWN-infested places before putting them near their
existing inventory of colonies.  Not everyone can afford
the time or hassle of having an "isolation yard" and
running their own homebrew "quarantine program".

When shipping to VA, package and queen producers are expected
to certify that they are, among other things "SHB Free"
if SHB has been found near their apiaries.  Screw up, and
you will be banned from shipping any queens or packages to
VA for as long as the Apiarist feels appropriate.  Migratory
beekeepers are of course expected to be inspected before they
leave for Virginia, with the same enforcement potential.

The whole "detection" issue is where things get complicated,
as one has to doubt that the 100% of the hives of a migratory
beekeeper are ever going to be 100% inspected by an under-funded,
undermanned, or in some cases, no longer existing field inspection
team.  Likewise, one is forced to doubt that if a relatively new
beekeeper, getting his first package, could ever be expected to
detect ANY pest or disease when hiving the package.  The problem is
made worse by the demographics of hobby beekeeping in the US, where
the typical beekeeper gives up the hobby after an average of only 5
years, down from 7 years not so long ago (this is from the Bee Culture
survey of beekeepers, perhaps the only statistically significant survey
of hobby beekeepers done).

So, we have two types of for-profit entities, both who can externalize
their costs, while internalizing their profits.  Both would claim that
constant inspections at their expense would disrupt their operations
and be "too costly", yet not a year goes by without an incident linked
by compelling evidence to one or the other.  As for us, we are forced
to pay for their mistakes in the form of costs for inspection and treatment
of our colonies, yet we are powerless to demand that the industry tighten
up on both types of assumed-to-be "professionals" who want to posture and
pose as being the best of the best beekeepers.

On the other hand, if everyone "cared", the regulation and inspection
regime would be described as "draconian", the price of queens, packages,
and nucs would be higher, and new beekeepers would be allowed by law to
hive packages only at local bee association workshops or under the
supervision of experienced eyes.

As compared to the diseases and pests, this really does not sound so
terrible, does it?  Its a battlefield out there, but no one wants to
impose martial law, let alone admit that widespread diseases and pests
clearly increase short-term profits for both queen/package/nuc
suppliers, and increase the price paid for a migratory pollination
colony, creating some very interesting potential conflicts of interest.


              jim

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