> Seems nobody cares about SHB. I just found beetles > this summer in northern Vermont. They were sent > here in nucs from South Carolina. If SHB are not firmly established and widespread in your state, it is well worth having a talk with your state apiarist to find out the state's stance on this issue, and lobby for a much more strict enforcement. There are two possible major vectors for introduction of the pest, Package/Queen/Nuc producers, and Migratory Beekeepers, both for-profit businesses subject to regulation by the state apiarist. Please spare me the convoluted excuses about the "natural spread" of SHB, as SHB certainly can walk and fly, but every introduction in a new far-away area has correlated to the deliberate movement of live bees by people who can be expected to know better. The problem is that the state apiarists in general are forced into a reactionary mode, so they not only must close the barn door only after the horse is gone, but must also clean up the horse droppings. The other problem that state apiarists have is the basic "presumption of innocence" in regard to liability for the costs of a clean-up. The only "proof" would be to re-inspect the package/queen/nuc shipper, and find SHB in his operation. Anything less, and the shipper can make transparent excuses, which are just more horse droppings. Of course, beekeepers themselves lack the will and the motivation (and in some cases, the knowledge) to take the time to rigorously inspect introduced bees from even KNOWN-infested places before putting them near their existing inventory of colonies. Not everyone can afford the time or hassle of having an "isolation yard" and running their own homebrew "quarantine program". When shipping to VA, package and queen producers are expected to certify that they are, among other things "SHB Free" if SHB has been found near their apiaries. Screw up, and you will be banned from shipping any queens or packages to VA for as long as the Apiarist feels appropriate. Migratory beekeepers are of course expected to be inspected before they leave for Virginia, with the same enforcement potential. The whole "detection" issue is where things get complicated, as one has to doubt that the 100% of the hives of a migratory beekeeper are ever going to be 100% inspected by an under-funded, undermanned, or in some cases, no longer existing field inspection team. Likewise, one is forced to doubt that if a relatively new beekeeper, getting his first package, could ever be expected to detect ANY pest or disease when hiving the package. The problem is made worse by the demographics of hobby beekeeping in the US, where the typical beekeeper gives up the hobby after an average of only 5 years, down from 7 years not so long ago (this is from the Bee Culture survey of beekeepers, perhaps the only statistically significant survey of hobby beekeepers done). So, we have two types of for-profit entities, both who can externalize their costs, while internalizing their profits. Both would claim that constant inspections at their expense would disrupt their operations and be "too costly", yet not a year goes by without an incident linked by compelling evidence to one or the other. As for us, we are forced to pay for their mistakes in the form of costs for inspection and treatment of our colonies, yet we are powerless to demand that the industry tighten up on both types of assumed-to-be "professionals" who want to posture and pose as being the best of the best beekeepers. On the other hand, if everyone "cared", the regulation and inspection regime would be described as "draconian", the price of queens, packages, and nucs would be higher, and new beekeepers would be allowed by law to hive packages only at local bee association workshops or under the supervision of experienced eyes. As compared to the diseases and pests, this really does not sound so terrible, does it? Its a battlefield out there, but no one wants to impose martial law, let alone admit that widespread diseases and pests clearly increase short-term profits for both queen/package/nuc suppliers, and increase the price paid for a migratory pollination colony, creating some very interesting potential conflicts of interest. jim :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::