Bob wrote

> Recently, the former Presidents of the two local Bee Associations I 
> attend stated at our meetings that Australia has varroa.  I told them 
> that while Oz is having an issue with Apis Ceranae in Queensland,   that I 
> don't believe that varroa has been detected  yet.  I believe  that 
> Canadian imports of queens and packages are still on for 2011  even though 
> the US has banned them.  Could anyone with current facts  update us on the 
> situation, and also small hive beetle situation in  areas that would 
> normally ship here.

Amazing how incorrect information gets around and can suddenly turn into 
fact.  There is no Varroa destructor in Australia that we know of. 
Inspections are carried out on beekeepers who export so if it was there it 
would turn up in these inspections.  We also have beekeepers who do 
acaricide testing of hives plus other do sugar shakes.  Canada does accept 
bees from places with varroa e.g. Hawaii and New Zealand

Yes Apis cerana is present and the subject of an eradication program.  It is 
in Cairns which is thousands of kilometres away from where the exports are 
sourced.

Queens and packages have been available from Australia in past years and 
those areas that have small hive beetle may also be able to send this year 
under a new protocol being negotiated.  This is now possible because Hawaii 
has SHB and the same conditions, I assume, will apply to Hawaii and 
Australia if put in place.

Thanks for raising this Bob so that the correct information can be put out 
there and the lies are not spread any further.  Makes you wonder where they 
get this information from and it also would lead me to question if other 
information they are putting out is accurate.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA 

             ***********************************************
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

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm