Walter is correct. AHB is not found in Hawaii. In fact, neither is tracheal mite or varroa mite. Hawaii banned the import of all honey bees into the state in 1985. Although the ban is almost impossible to enforce, there is little pressure to bring bees into the state. Without the mites, and with a tropical environment, bees are plentiful. In fact, I know of several people who make a living just removing swarms! Now, to address Andy's comments.... The first bees in Hawaii were "German Blacks" introduced in the 1840's. These bees were truly mean! Thirty years ago double shirts and three pairs of pants were required when pulling honey. When Powers and Weavers arrived here twenty-five years ago they began changing this temperament through the introduction of Italian queens and through artificial insemination. In the last ten years the change has been noticable. Kona Queen has 15 full time beekeepers (full time is 52 weeks a year!) and only one pair of gloves in the whole operations. Partly due to the heat, but also because the bees are very gentle, nobody wears a long sleeved shirt. If you ever wonder about the success of a breeding program in a small closed population, you might want to look at the change in the temperament and breed of bees on the island of Hawaii over the last thirty years. Would Andy be interested in trying a few Kona Queens now? Let me know. I think he would be surprised! Mark at Kona Queen