David Green wrote > > An unknown is the US - Canada situation. With varroa moving into Canada, >there is less reason for the border closure, and there is some pressure for a >reopening of the border. Our Canadian friends may be able to comment better >on the possibility. > The only people I can find who want the border opened are commercial bee keepers who based their business on killing their bees every winter, then re-starting again in the spring with new packages. Knowing Dave's views on the bees good health (from the spraying controversy) I don't believe he would encourage the border opening for these people, to allow them to commit this obscenity every year!! It is not just the influx of Varroa. I strongly agree with the closure. It has allowed us time to prepare for the onslaught. We now have bred T-mite resistant queens. We have an alternative in Formic acid, and most if not all are ready. There is one main area of concern, Africanized bees. While packages are kept out, then the chances are we can keep our gene pool clean, and that is possibly our strongest argument for keeping the border closed. **************************************************** * David Eyre 9 Progress Drive, Unit 2, * * The Beeworks, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6H1. * * [log in to unmask] 705-326-7171 * * http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks * * Agents for: E H Thorne & B J Sherriff UK. * ****************************************************