> However, spread to eastern TN, western TN (approx. 400 miles away) and
then
to western KY can be traced to ONE migratory beekeeper who will not treat
and keeps moving his bees -- first from a known infested area in GA, to
outside Chattanooga, TN, then to the far western end of TN.

Missouri did not get the beetle from our migratory beekeepers but sure other
states may have gotten their shb problems from migratory beekeepers.


> Had he treated when the beetle was first identified in his TN hives, the
> beetles would not (in all likelihood) be in the western end of TN and KY
(where it is already causing losses).

TN and KY were  in the projected path of the SHB. Was bound to happen. I
doubt if treatment of the migratory beekeepers hives would have solved the
problem. SHB is similar to varroa in that once you get both they are with
you forever.

  Better, had he not moved infected  hives from GA (in violation of state
>law, but with no real punishment  defined), the entire state might still be
>clear.  Or at least, have a few  more years before the beetle spread
>naturally.

It would be impossible to certify a semi load of bees coming from a known
area of shb to be small hive beetle free. Hell the inspection service can't
even keep the SHb out of packages. Temporary quarantines were set up at
times but movement of bees with beetles has never been stopped to my
knowledge. The USDA sees the spread of the small hive beetle as unstoppable.

The hobby beekeepers in TN and KY might as you say have had a few more years
before infestation but the need for pollination won out and the bee hives
were released to move into orchards.

On one end you have got a grower which will not get a crop and possibly go
bankrupt without pollination. On the other end you have got a beekeeper with
bees which possibly carry the shb. The USDA does not see a way to stop the
spread of the SHB (nor do I). The beekeeper is given a permit  to go
pollinate.


Bob