How much would it cost to ship bees from Hawaii to points in the US Mainland?
 
 
 
At 01:34 PM 8/14/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Walter is correct.  AHB is not found in Hawaii.  In fact, neither is
>tracheal mite or varroa mite.  Hawaii banned the import of all honey
>bees into the state in 1985.  Although the ban is almost impossible
>to enforce, there is little pressure to bring bees into the state.
>Without the mites, and with a tropical environment, bees are
>plentiful.  In fact, I know of several people who make a living just
>removing swarms!
>
>Now, to address Andy's comments....  The first bees in Hawaii were
>"German Blacks" introduced in the 1840's.  These bees were truly
>mean!  Thirty years ago double shirts and three pairs of pants were
>required when pulling honey.  When Powers and Weavers arrived here
>twenty-five years ago they began changing this temperament through
>the introduction of Italian queens and through artificial
>insemination.  In the last ten years the change has been noticable.
>Kona Queen has 15 full time beekeepers (full time is 52 weeks a
>year!) and only one pair of gloves in the whole operations.  Partly
>due to the heat, but also because the bees are very gentle, nobody
>wears a long sleeved shirt.
>
>If you ever wonder about the success of a breeding program in a small
>closed population, you might want to look at the change in the
>temperament and breed of bees on the island of Hawaii over the last
>thirty years.
>
>Would Andy be interested in trying a few Kona Queens now?  Let me
>know.  I think he would be surprised!
>
>Mark at Kona Queen
>
>
Steven Albritton
LDS Communications, Sports America, Chauvin Honey Farms
Monroe, Louisiana