To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Pest/disease free bees... +-------------------------------+ ###From: [log in to unmask] ###Subject: Pest/disease free bees... ###Date: Sun, 20 Feb 1994 07:58:00 +1300 ### ###BEES AND QUEENS FROM NEW ZEALAND? ### ###I would be interested to hear some opinions as to why we have ###found it so difficult to negotiate access to the US for our bees. ###Interesting that the historical reason came from back in 1922, when ###the US was afraid of importing Acarine. Kind of difficult to ###maintain that justification, eh? ### ###I'd also be interested to hear reasons that the border SHOULD be ###opened - what sort of support does exist? IS there a market for ###bees and queens that have a PROVEN quality? ### ###--------------------------------------------------- ### Nick Wallingford ### (Tauranga, on the east coast of the North Island ### of New Zealand - kiwifruit pollination centre of ### New Zealand and the world!) +-------------------------------+ Hi Nick, I see no advantage in buying queens or bees from any area that is "disease free", if you are going to maintain those bees in an area that is not "disease free". In my opinion its better to buy proven stock that co exists with the pests, diseases, and parasites in the area one hopes to keep the bees. We have all the problems and are on the continual watch for more here in California. Stock that interests us comes from areas of the world that also has these same problems and succeeds in spite of them. Our priorities are reversed, what you are see as an advantage may be a better reason not to buy. We do expect the bees and queens we buy to be healthy when we get them, not necessarily from a "disease free" area. But then we are only the ones who are spending the money... The question of open boarders is a political question driven by economics and little science. Check your own regulations before pot shotting at ours. A few short years ago several northern California beekeepers on hearing of the finding of a "mite" in the southern states bees spent a lot of time at Canadian meeting hyping the disastrous effects of this pest on Canadian beekeepers if it were allowed to enter Canada. They picked up a lot of business for their "disease free" bees. A short time later the very same pests were found in their own bees, the boarder closed on them and never has reopened. The fact is that in the United States we have a surplus of queen production and are able to supply the market with bees that we know what the problems are. We don't have any idea on what your problems are other then you would like to have part of our market and say your country is "disease free". This is at odds to what your beekeepers tell us when they come to visit, work and learn? If you really want to see the boarder opened to queens from your country, cut the BS about "disease free", we have heard it before, we may have invented it. Show us how you can deliver healthy queens and bees at competitive prices when we need them and we may show you some interest in opening the boarder. __ __ ttul Andy- / \ \^+^/ / \ \ \(O O)/ / Wild Bee's BBS \ \\_// //-->> BEENET.COM -----------------oOO--Y--OOo------------------------------------