Peter Borst said "Bees have been trucked
around big time since at least the 1940s. This is not the cause of current
problems."
Well...not quite true.
If migratory beekeeping did not exist, the distribution of AFB resistant to
Terramyacin, Trachael Mites, Varroa mites resistant to fluvalinate and
coumaphous, Varroa mites, chalkbrood, CCD, small hive beetles and much more
would have been *significantly* delayed here in the Northeast and perhaps
even more significantly delayed in places such as California. The speed at
which these pathogens and pests could naturally travel is far slower than
the speed of 18 wheelers.
Moreover, in the 'old days' a migratory beekeeper in the Eastern part of the
country would put his hives on just *one* crop (usually apples) at just one
location before putting his hives out for honey. I'm not so old that I can
remember when beekeepers were excited because of Maine blueberries opening
up for pollination because it meant they could get *two* pollination sets
before being placed for honey.
Today, the trucks are much bigger and can carry much larger loads. The
interstate highway system (yes, there was a time we did not have four-lane
highways going hither and yon) means pollinators have significantly reduced
their travel time. These factors, and more, have reached the point where
one large eastern pollinator has said he places the same boxes in up to 20
different locations a year! Obviously, that is not the same as saying that
identical bees are placed on 20 locations, but it is true for the frames,
bee decendants, and pest and pathogen decendants.
At each stop the hives pick up local pests and pathogens and 'drop off'
pests and pathogens from previous locations.
Please do not stick your head in the sand. As practiced today, migratory
beekeeping is a large part of today's beekeeping problems.
I don't know the solution, but I am convinced that increased government
regulation *should not* be a part and that it is in their best interest for
migratory beekeepers to be more responsible concerning the industry effects
of their actions. If they do not somehow band together to reduce or at
least better control the impact of their actions, the result will be that
someone else will do it. Almost certainly some government agency.
Lloyd
--
Lloyd Spear
Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacture of equipment for round comb honey sections,
Sundance Pollen Traps, and producer of Sundance custom labels.
Contact your dealer or www.RossRounds.com <http://www.rossrounds.com/>
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