Hello All,

If this was really a great threat, do you think they would be *allowed* to
ship them to you?

Yes! No one is checking breeders to a great degree and there is no
quarentine.
I got tracheal mites with queens from Texas in the late 80's.  Varroa was
spread at first by infested packages.  The beekeeper which first found
varroa had sent out over 3,000 packages from his yards.

 Checkmite should take out the beetles in transit.

Yea right!

If you are worried put another strip in when you get the package and leave
it there for 6 weeks.

Many Florida beekeepers report the small hive beetle leaves the hive to
multiply and then returns to later infest weak hives and multiply on a
larger scale.   Beekeepers in Florida report SMH in almost all hives but
infestations can be overwelming overnight.  Researchers are still trying to
get a handle on all aspects of the SHB.  All beekeepers I talk to say the
SMH beetle lives outside the hive and returns to infest weak hives
 rsearchers are divided on this point).  We still are in a learning stage
with SHB.
In my opinion we are going to have to learn to live with SHB as attempts at
eradication have proved fruitless.  The main problems have been in warm
areas so far so maybe the cold areas won't be affected. I am still working
on my trap idea I posted a few months ago.
I put SHB in the same class as Africanized bees if you live in the north.
Not a big deal.   Varroa resistant to Fluvalinate & Coumaphos is a big deal.
Whole outfits are being wiped out because of fluvalinate resistant varroa.
Those beekeepers should have been testing.  By the time they get ready to
step up to Coumaphos we are going to see the same problem with Coumaphos
Coumaphos has been in use allready in Florida for four years.  Beekeepers
are going to have to LEARN to test for varroa. Grandfathers method of
keeping bees won't work today in the beekeeping industry!
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa,Missouri

I want to die peasefully in my sleep like my grandfather... Not screaming
and yelling like the passengers in his car.