Hello All,


> > Dr. Hoffman was speaking of capensis traits in the feral black bees of
Arizona and those bees with pseudo queens being a serious threat to
> pollination if spread through commercial pollinators.

Blane White attended the presentation and posted the above in a prior post
on BEE-L  and I am only saying what we both know was the *beef* of the
presentaion.

Dee *posted* the bees Dr. Hoffman was showing slides of were her bees but
from an earlier date. Dee says those pseudo queens were in her bees ten
years ago. Remember pure capensis exists fine with laying workers. The
threat lies when a capensis trait worker enters a hive of another race.

Blane White, Dave Hamilton , Glenn Davis and I believe Kim Flottum was in
the room for part of the talk standing at the back but not certain Kim  was
during the whole meeting. Glenn Davis came in late.

When I attended the ABF convention in Austin the Texas State bee inspector
told us of pseudo queens the inspection service had been seeing.  The Texas
inspection service destroyed every swarm with AHB blood. Not in Arizona
unless they cause a stinging problem.

Arizona has no inspection service and rumor has it a certain beekeeper is
catching AHB swarms and raising queens from those black queens .

Such selective breeding would enhance the capensis traits .

What does deregulated the Arizona bee inspection service mean?

Why not do away with the whole U.S. inspection system?

Would a bee inspection system in Arizona have prevented the problems we are
seeing?

How does Dee get by with shipping queens out of a state which Dr. Hoffmans
says should be considered AHB?  Why there is no inspection system!

I could winter in Arizona and treat with illegal methods as there is no
inspection service. A friend in Florida which I will not name was fined
$10,000 for his misuse. Not in Arizona! No inspection service!

Would be nice if we could call the Arizona bee inspector and see what he
says.

 Sorry he does not exist in Arizona!

The Bee lab only found the capensis traits problem while doing research on
pollination. The bee lab only looks at the things it is doing research on.
We have only got Dee's opinion on whats going on in her bees. I respect her
opinion but maybe we should take a peek. Mike thinks we should. In fact Mike
says he is going to look at Dee's bees. At least beekeepers from South
Africa think the situation needs looking into . Is the USDA *asleep at the
wheel*?

Where's the Beef?

If I end up with capensis traits in my bees I am going to be upset with the
system( or lack of one).


Bob