> I just don't  understand why
> northern beekeepers would not
> work together
> to develop local queen breeding techniques.
This is already happening.  The Vermont State Beekeepers are devoting their entire year of meetings and workshops to such a goal.  President Michael Palmer wrote, "This year, there will be a theme involved in our workshops and meetings: using and rearing northern bees and queens."  See: www.vtbeekeepers.org 
 
However, to successfully combat the spread of AHB from southern producers, all Northern Beekeepers would have to unite and simply say no to Southern packages.  Canadian beekeepers successfully did so when they closed the US border to bee shipments from the States.  It changed beekeeping in Canada.  But to do so within the continental US, would require a united effort by all beekeepers above the Mason Dixon Line.  (See: http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/masondixon.htm).  Not only would it require a massive cooperative effort, it would also require that the northern beekeepers meet their needs from Northern suppliers.  It is possible to raise northern queens and overwinter nucleus colonies, but the supply for 2006 would already have to have been set up in 2005.  I do not know of a supplier or group of suppliers able to meet Northern demand.  Heck, I don't know of a supplier or group of suppliers able to meet MY demand, as I expect heavy losses this winter.  I did set up and am hoping to overwinter 50 nucs, but I've hedged my bets with a reserve order of 75 packages for spring 2006 shipment.
 
And this says nothing of migratory beekeepers.  As Bob so eloquently wrote the last time this topic came up, pollination rules.  Borders will not, cannot close to migratory pollinators.  It simply will not happen.  What has to happen in this situation (I'm carefully avoiding "crisis") is beekeepers have to be responsible with their own stock.  Beekeepers will have to work diligently to cull hot stock.  Not only can there be no room for hot bees, there can be no room for beekeepers who treat hot hives, UGLY hives, with a laisser faire attitude.  Unfortunately there will be beekeepers who do exactly that (See: http://tinyurl.com/bbk45 ) and follow the thread on "Very Aggressive Bees" in the archives.  Posts abound about very aggressive hives which the beekeepers simply leave alone, with the potential to cause an incident from that hive specifically, and the unavoidable spreading of the hot genes to open mated queens.  Beekeepers who tolerate hot bees are of the same caliber as beekeepers who tolerate American foulbrood.  Unfortunately there have always been and likely always will be beekeepers who harbor American foulbrood.  I am thankful that New York State has an apiary inspection program, and I look to the NYS apiary inspection program to protect me from beekeepers who don't know or don't care that they harbor problems.  Although it's not on the books, perhaps a tolerance level needs to be set for acceptable temperment of colonies.  In the same way inspectors can protect me from AFB, perhaps inspectors can police unacceptable bees.  I don't imagine that would be a popular assignment, but in the same vein I suspect there are more than a few who will walk away and leave alone colonies that don't welcome inspections.
 
> certification process to allow shipments
> of packages and queens from southern areas
Nice idea, but what will that cost?  Add $10?, $20 to the price per unit.

> I'm at a loss for how any beekeeper would explain to Joe or Jane
They won't be explaining it to Joe or Jane, they'll be explaining it to the judge.
 
> the media and some politicians will figure out that this
> is crazy and borders will close with in the next 5 years.
No, the easy target will be the small, suburban beekeeper.  You cannot halt food production, but if you take on the back yard beekeeper it will look like diligent action has been taken to protect the public as best as the politician can.  The little guys will be the targets.
 
> .... admitting the scope of the problem is the first step
What is the scope of the problem?  Is the problem hot bees?  I've had hot bees.  I've had bees that were a menace to people and animals in their vicinity.  I went to great lengths to requeen the colony.  In today's world I wouldn't bother with the "great lengths", I'd simply snuff the hive.  The financial loss is tolerable when compared to the alternative.
 
And I agree that the best action is to avoid bees from suspect areas.  I haven't purchased bees from Texas in decades.  My best queen supplier took himself out of the game when his area became suspect.  As the suspect areas grow, and the non-suspect suppliers dwindle, it becomes ever more necessary for individual beekeepers to take on responsibility for their own stock.  Breed better bees.  Learn to successfully overwinter bees so replacements from the south aren't necessary.  Easy to write, not as easy to do.  But it is easy to cull hot stock.
 
It's a common theme as yet another problem challanges beekeepers.  Become a better beekeeper or become an ex-beekeeper.  Now more than ever, there is no room for bee-havers!
 
Aaron Morris - thinking George Imirie is aliove and well!

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