>It is not just migratory commercial beekeeping that transfers diseases and
pests around the country.

It has been awhile since we visited the way pests & disease are spread. I
have said many times that *package bees* are the number one way.

Between commercial beekeepers each other is the main way of spread  but
package bees have always been the method disease and pests spread first and
fast.

3700 package bees were shipped from Florida to the largest handler of
package bees at the time of the first varroa mite discovery. These package
bees were from the beekeeper which had the first find.

These package bees were shipped all over the U.S. by the distributer. Not
destroyed. Nor  were the shipment of package bees stopped.

The movement of commercial beekeepers was stopped in certain areas but not
the shipment of package bees from those areas.(yet spread still happened
????)

In California ,Texas ,Florida & Georgia *bulk* bees are sold to package
producers after almonds.

For many new beekeepers the above may be the first you have heard of the
process.

Package bees are the main way hobby beekeepers stay in beekeeping.

After almonds, cherries, apples, peaches and many other pollinations
commercial beekeepers which do not want to make up new hives sell either
frames of brood *or* bulk bees.

Without commercial migratory beekeepers supplying bulk bees there would be
about half the number of package bees available each season.

Some of the smaller package bee suppliers do run enough hives to supply the
package bees they ship but most do not!

Some California beekeepers internet sites show pictures of the bulk bee
cages  which hold around 30-35 pounds of bulk bees per cage.

When asked about commercial beekeepers being the number one source of spread
years ago I said was not so and explained the above but *also said* quote:

"commercial beekeepers have broad shoulders and if people want to blame us
we do not have a problem with such thinking but simply as far as being the
number one way problems are spread not true"

*If* package producers had enough hives to supply bees from their own bees
then spread of problems would *in my opinion* be less as bulk bees are
simply weighed by the package producer , the beekeeper is paid for the bees
and the bees are shook into packages. None checked for problems and unlike
package bees shipped from Australia where the hives the bees come from are
checked for problems before shipment BULK BEES ARE NOT and at times are
shook from sick hives.

I have never been timid about sharing truth with the list.

bob

Ps. I am in a motel in Omaha, Nebraska on bee business. People are working 
hard to move out of the way of the wall of water released in Yankton. South 
Dakota. The road I crossed over on is expected to go under water within 
three days.
I have been told interstate 29 could be flooded for a couple months. 
Interstate 80 across Iowa.
The amount of water being released at Yankton has never been released 
before.
The weigh scales, rest areas on I 29 in the area are being sand bagged and 
shut down. Exit 120 is shut now and exit 12 at Onawa, Iowa  will be closed 
before Friday I was told. Bulldozers are building huge dirt berms around 
houses and businesses.

All the water is headed towards the Gulf delta.
 

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