Hi to all on BEE-l

James Fischer wrote:

Excuse the mass hysteria, but bees simply did not kill people or
animals in the western hemisphere before the spread of AHB.

Reply:

This is quite an untrue statement. As a past President of the state's
Arizona Beekeepers Beekeepers Association and for many years it's Apiary
Advisory Committee and the States AHB Task Force, I must say it was well
known that just in our state alone, there were ongoing bee stinging
incidents of at least a couple dozen each year involving livestock and
domestic pets, that included the stinging to death of such animals, as well
as major stinging incidents involving people, some of which also were
documented to have cost lives.

My husband and I also represented the State of Arizona on a formal trip to
gather documentation and testimony from the State of Texas, with the help
of APHIS and the USDA/ARS on what actual circumstances were on all aspects
of the AHB problem (then new). This was done by formal interview with
police and fire departments, and various health officials, pesticide
companies, commercial beekeepers, APHIS officials, and USDA/ARS officials
in Texas. Testimony was taken during interview with me (Dee) holding a
video camera over my right shoulder (sound enhanced). Presidention of
evidence was then turned over to the State of Arizona upon our return. By
the way, copies were kept, which I still have in my possession.

Much of what is said today, if the true were known, is blown out of
proportion. It's a shame so many talk today,without actually being in on
the acutal inner workings of what went down to create today's AHB mind set
problem.

Sincerely,

Dee A. Lusby