(For imports, I am > all for microscopic sampling at the port of entry, not 
mere a visual
> inspection)

You are entitled to your opinion and freedom of speech makes the U.S. great! 
However holding up package bees at the port of entry is in my opinion very 
stupid! A pallet belongs to the beekeeper at that point and is worth approx. 
forty five to fifty thousand dollars!(uninsured dollars!)

All of us involved with import bees ( I was involved with the first import) 
want all the inspections on those bees which can be done done but ONLY 
before shipped into the U.S.. \

The flight is 18 hours direct through for California. What changes happened 
along the way that makes inspection at point of entry needed?

Why would you even suggest holding up those bees?

Getting airport inspections is simply another headache (of many) in getting 
live bees shipped around the world. Aphis did not show up for the first 
import arrival nor has been at any other arrival to my knowledge. They trust 
the Australian inspection service and the Australians check for everything 
asked for. However we have been over this before and frankly I am getting 
tired of the same old drumbeat!


Or could it be their geographic isolation that has disallowed
> migratory mite-infected bees in the vicinity?

We are talking about an island in the middle of an ocean! Duh!

>
> Is this evidence not hard enough?

No!

 Our politicians could in my opinion (from a recent conversation with one 
and off the record and with friends can be blunt) care less if a remote 
island has varroa , those beekeepers have to deal with varroa and if they 
can't learn to live with varroa have to buy imported honey (like most of 
America ) as their voting block is very small. Maybe I am being too blunt 
but after awhile I get blunt when it seems my point is not being made. I 
clealy understand what you are saying. Do you understand my position?

Losing a huge amount of money by bees dying at the airport when the 
inspecting could be done (and supposedly is being done despite what Jim 
Fischer says) before shipment is simply not a risk those beekeepers 
importing bees are willing to accept. Surely you understand our position. 
Are you going to sample all 400 packages on a pallet at the airport? Only 
one bee per package? get real!

 I guess we are going to have to "agree to disagree" Yoon.


As I posted before despite what Jim F. calls the lack of regulations letting 
those bees be inspected once installed in hives in the U.S. every beekeeper 
I have spoken with has said they would let the USDA-ARS inspect those 
package bees after arrival ONCE INSTALLED! not a single beekeeper  objected!

bob 


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