Hi Bob,
 
I read with great interest your long post about the still unconfirmed ban on Australian bees. Please allow me to make some comments on your message
 
>The whole thing is a scam as the small amount of packages from OZ would never had been enough to keep pace with >demand. Actually the falling dollar has about stopped U.S. beekeepers from buying OZ packages. A hundred thirty a >package is a bit steep. Especially when you can buy a package in Mexico for fifteen bucks and queens for less than a >dollar.
 
You certainly have poor information about Mexican beekeeping economics. Although there are some large outfits, the vast majority are small and medium sized beekeepers. Given the huge prevalence of AHB in Mexico, and the concomitant difficulties involved in the shaking process to produce package bees out of colonies headed by AHB queens, there are not many chances for an alleged conspiracy headed by a strong Mexican package bee industry cartel. Unless Mexican beekeepers are successful at using again EHB queens, then the prospects of any large package bee industry south of your border are gloomy.

>I love Mexico's queen import system. Bees from every part of the world can enter Mexico and then be sent north into >the U.S.. The drug cartels will love hiding drugs in loads of bees.

What a paradox! You love the same queen import system that I hate! But fortunately you are totally wrong. Regarding bee imports, Mexico is one of the most protectionist countries all over the world. 

If you want to dig into their current import regulations regarding live bees, I suggest you visit their animal health regulation website at http://148.245.191.4/zooweb/funcion.aspx. 

Since 1994, Mexico has a unique animal health surveillance protocol aimed to stop the arrival of varroa haplotypes different than what they already have. This regulation makes almost impossible any legal bee import into Mexico. You can also check into the Mexican statistics service. You will not find any substantial bee imports made recently. 

However, your assertion that bees from every part of the world make its way into Mexico may be partially right, if you are referring to the illegal smuggling of American queen bees from the southern US into Mexico. I know some large Mexican beekeepers who proudly brag about their success introducing US queens south of the border.

>The first step in opening the Mexico import was shutting down the OZ import. Shutting down the OZ import was led by >the California queen and package industry( with those beekeepers seeing the chance to cash in in the background).
 
You like conspiracy theories, don`t you?  However, I do not see any solid background in your statement justifying it. Aside from the alIeged Mexican conspiracy that you insinuate, I do not think that Mexico has any capability to produce neither the thousands of packages nor the thousands of queen bees that seem to scare you so much. 

The biggest handicap of any future export of Mexican bees into California is the current spread of Small Hive Beetle in the Mexican territory which is out of control at this stage. 

As far as California keeps its SHB-free status, then Mexican bees will have a hard time trying to make it into California. You already now that a Pest Risk Assessment conducted by APHIS is a must prior to any import. I am not aware of any such PRA being carried out on Mexican bees. Anyway, a PRA is a very long, painful and uncertain process that will take several years before its eventual successful completion. 

>Give me a break. The average beekeeper in Mexico makes about a dollar a day. $140-150 a hive in almonds. You can >buy top quality hives in Mexico for less than $20 a hive!
 
Again you are wrong with your math. If you confirm where in Mexico I can get a $20.- colony, tomorrow I am starting a new branch of MALKA QUEENS in Mexico.

>But the biggest question of all...Will there be enough U.S. bees next spring to meet the needs of the Almond Industry? >The biggest question is will U.S. beekeepers drop their prices to compete with Mexican bees? Depending on how fast >the border is opened I may have sent my last hives to almonds. I predicted the above would happen years ago on >BEE-L(in the archives) . I was told  the OZ import would happen and was told that later the OZ border would close >opening the way for the Mexican border to open.

I think your astrological predictions are wrong. I do not see you much future as a palm reader. Please check with another prediction system and keep on with your interesting contributions to this list.

Sincerely,


Martin Braunstein
MALKA QUEENS
www.malkaqueens.com

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