Oh, dear, let's hope it doesn't get started again.  It might be worse
than the off colour joke!
 
> But since what we beekeepers call
> "EFB" may be a cocktail of problems it may be that those in New Zealand
> who say they don't have "EFB" are also right as they may not have the
> same "EFB" that we have.
 
The presence of European foulbrood in a country is not an matter of
'opinion' - it simple testing for causative organism.  However much
conspiracy theory some might want to read into everything, New
Zealand bees are tested regularly for the presence of EFB.  The tests
have always been negative.
 
> I personally
> believe any country that believes it gets it AFB from empty imported
> honey containers must also have EFB
 
I don't quite follow that one, Andy.  Are you still referring to NZ
in this?  NZ beekeepers have never said anything about our AFB coming
from empty imported honey containers.  And even if we did, how does
that suddenly mean that we must also have EFB???
 
 
> With the criminal inditement of the former USDA Secertary of Agriculture
> it is clear that a few other minor burcrats in the USDA should also
> bee worried as the day of the free lunch and free trips for what ever
> purpose may be over as some of us see little difference in working for a
> Arkansas chicken plucker and some foreign government bee research
> project that has no benefit to US tax payers or US beekeepers.
>
> Top priority research by the USDA is regulatory in nature and one only
> has to have attend the last generation of national beekeeping meeting to
> have a grater knowledge of the annual changing USDA management system
> then beekeeping disease research. As USDA beekeeping research dies for
> lack of beekeeper interest and budget cuts some effort has been made by
> the USDA to show concern for beekeeper problems but I suspect the die
> has been cast and without some major changes, that I don't see coming,
> its too late and the Hawaii situation is one of those proverbial straws.
>
> ttul, the OLd Drone
>
> (c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document
> in any form, or to print for any use.
>
> (w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk.
>
> ---
>  ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ SLMR 2.0 ~ A ounce of pretension = a pound of manure!
>
  (\           Nick Wallingford
 {|||8-        home [log in to unmask]
  (/           work [log in to unmask]
NZ Beekeeping  http://www.beekeeping.co.nz