>
> >The scary thing is that the customs agent said this was the first time he
> had seen this done. Everybody else must be getting away with it.


As far as I can tell, the smuggling of queens into the U.S. is done
regularly by beekeepers who wish to keep the same stock as "back home."
 This trickle of uninspected bees into the U.S. helps to introduce novel
species or strains of pathogens, as well as to perhaps increase genetic
diversity.  I do not condone it by any means, just reporting what I hear
from ethnic beekeepers.


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html