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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Paul Nicholson <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 22 Feb 1999 20:41:51 -0800
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At 14:02 -0800 2/20/99, Andy Nachbaur wrote:
>We left our Texas beekeeper stuck between California and Arizona, back and
>forth for a week. At last Arizona allowed the bees to be transferred to a
>closed van for the trip back to Texas. They made it but 100% were dead.
>
>Another Texas beekeeper who had pressured washed every pallet as they were
>loaded got pass the Arizona station, no problem, but because it was Sunday
>no one at the California boarder station could pass the load. And because
>it was a long weekend no one could check the bees until Tuesday AM.
 
The story made the Los Angeles times today. A Texas beekeeper was stopped
at the border because inspectors found fire ants in every one of the first
four hives they checked. They parked the trailer on the tarmac at an
airport in Blythe while the beekeeper tried to get the bees back. A local
California beekeeper kindly helped the bees. Arizona would not allow the
bees to return, Nevada did not care, and Utah said no. Finally the
beekeeper was allowed to bring the bees back through Arizona in a
refrigerated closed trailer. The Beekeeper estimates a $40,000 dollar loss.
 
It's too bad we have this problem, because we sure don't need the fire ants
out here. The little 2mm Argentine ants are a major pest. I have my hives
on greased blocks of wood, which have to be regreased weekly. The Argentine
ants have displaced the larger and less invasive native ants, much to the
demise of horned toads (actually lizards), which feed on the larger native
ants, and find the Argentine ants unpalatable (they smell awful when one
smashes them). The Argentines are so small that they are hard to keep out
of houses as they come in through the smallest of cracks. The nests have
multiple queens and these queens will march off with workers and brood to
start a new nest. I've found queen ants and brood living in the top of a
box where the frame ends are hung, beyond the reach of the bees.
 
Already there is an infestation of fire ants in Orange County, and a plan
to eradicate them completely before they spread is being devopled. It's
unfortunate that the poor beleagured beekeeper has to worry about yet
another problem, and I hope California can work out an inspection system
whereby bees don't sit in bureacratic limbo on the tarmac at Blythe
Airport, but I don't think we should allow importation of fire ants in
beehives.
 
Paul
 
Paul Nicholson               Electronic Imaging Systems, Inc.
TEL 805 532 1068             5148 Commerce Avenue, Unit F
FAX 805 532 1065             Moorpark, CA 93021 U.S.A.
[log in to unmask]              http://www.eisusa.com

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