> Hawaiian beekeepers have been trying to say for some time that                
> because they did not have Varroa and Tracheal mites they should be            
> allowed to send bees to Canada (and thereby pick up on what they see          
> as a lucrative trade). Hence their desire to try and prevent the              
> passage of bees from Australia and NZ via Hawaii thus (hopefully)             
> force the Canadians to reopen the border - at least to them anyway.           
                                                                                
Tens of thousands of queens from Hawaii are routinely imported into             
Western Canada annually in the past few years.  Imports are now                 
allowed from Hawaii, due to their proven freedom from mites and AHB.            
                                                                                
These queens provide a source after the natural season in NZ and Aus.           
                                                                                
There is now a movement afoot in Alberta to request re-examination of           
the border closure in light of the high losses this past year, the              
(slowly) increasing incidence of mites in Canada, and the belief that           
the varroa mite can be managed.  The substandard quality of                     
packages from a major NZ shipper, the shortage and quality of                   
queens, and punitively high prices are driving the movement.                    
                                                                                
Of course the outcome is far from certain, since the majority of                
beekeepers across Canada have to concur -- unless some larger social            
good is cited, and there are large areas that are now mite free that            
would quickly become infested should package trade with the US                  
resume.  And there is the AHB to consider too.                                  
                                                                                
Regards                                                                         
                                                                                
Allen                                                                           
                                                                                
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK         
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0                                         
Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]                                
Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>