Amen to Peter's comments on Apiary Inspection. As 20 season Veteran Apiary Inspector I confirm his point of view. Even w/ 18 Inspectors which we had when I started in 1986, only a small percentage of Apiaries were inspected simply because of the way things are and how the work was organized. Saying what statistic from inspections means is all in the way the data is interpreted.

The first couple of years that I worked Apiary Inspectors were directed to inspect every fourth apiary in the County Listings before they did anything else. Since apiaries come and go, some of those apiaries were unoccupied. But, at the end of the season something could be said as to the statistics gleaned from the efforts. I wish I still had those reports. I'm sure someone does.

After the initial work was done in a Township or County then the other apiaries were inspected. Just so y'all didn't get the idea that only some apiaries in a County were looked at.

In 1986 and 87 I worked many different counties from Long Island to Chatauqua to the North Country and along Lake Champlain. I logged 17,000 miles that first year. Not much time spent at home.

The State can't afford that kind of Travel Budget any more. It can't afford to employee more than two Inspectors for the whole Summer to work forty hours per week. I don't even think they are employed as Apiary Inspectors but probably under some other designation and line item.

Peter is right. Education has always been the best defense against diseases and pests of honeybees. That's why ESHPA's Bee Wellness Program developed and presented and worked by Pat Bono is so invaluable to the beekeepers of NY State. What Pat Bono has done and will continue to do with the support of the Statewide Beekeeper's Association is the sort of thing which Ag&Mkts should have been doing all along. But, NYS Dept. of AG&MKTS is part of the regulatory branch of the State, not the Extension part.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html