> Like Peter, I was briefly part of the NY Inspection Services.  Like Peter,
> I agree that the above describes my experience with the NYS service.
>    
That doesn't mean we do away with the program. There are too many 
new-bees out there that don't have a clue. One example...a beekeeper in 
the Malone area. Used to have many hundreds of colonies, until son took 
over management and the operation crashed with AFB. That equipment is 
still in the barn. Now, a beekeeper in my neighborhood, who has some 
land near this Yorker beekeeper, has discovered that equipment. I tried 
to tell him the history of the equipment, but the Yorker beekeeper has 
convinced my neighbor that the equipment on one side of the barn is 
diseased and the equipment on the other is clean. This in an operation 
that was rotten with AFB, and there's no way the owner knows what is 
what. But those new-bees are suckers for cheap used equipment.

And I just noticed, my neighbor has moved his bees back from 
Chateguay...to my neighborhood...just a couple miles down the road from 
my mating yard with it's 500+ nucleus colonies. Wanna bet there's no 
inspection certificate issued by NY State, to comply with VT apiary 
laws? There should be.

>
>
> Sorry, Mike, but AFAIK there is no similar program for cows, goats, sheep,
> horses, etc. and I hope to (finally) see the day when even the remnants we
> have in NY are totally gone.
>    
The paranoia of some Yorker beekeepers has always puzzled me Lloyd. I 
for one welcome a knowledgeable and qualified inspector to work in my 
bees. Another pair of eyes can only help as far as I'm concerned. In 
fact, I'd be willing to chip in part of the expenses. And as far as 
inspections for other farm animals...let's see what happens with 
inspections if brucelosis is discovered in a NY dairy herd. Think the 
herd will get inspected? Or mad-cow, or foot and mouth? Or Emerald Ash 
borer or Asian Long-Horned beetle...

What about AFB in bees? Not!?
Mike

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