On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 Peter Borst wrote:

"http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/regional/s_434924.html
After 15 years of working with honeybees at his Marshall, PA home, master
beekeeper Bob Jenereski has been ......ordered him to remove his 16 hives 
or face fines of up $500 a day."


To the List,

I suggest that those who may want to get involved in rescuing this 
situation search the BEE-L archives.  I believe that in the past we helped 
persuade the officials in one or two situations including a particular 
case in Aurora, Colorado which had concerns of Africanized bees as a 
defense which helped the beekeeper keep his bees. If I remember correctly 
several from BEE-L  made contributions to the local Aurora, CO newspaper 
citing the need for honey bees and with help from beekeepers all over the 
prohibition was canned.  Once again this can come to fruition!

I also offer the following for your consideration quotations in partiality 
from the State of Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, Charles Bronson as 
was printed in “News For South Carolina Beekeepers, February 2006 Vol. 17, 
No. 1 which listed as  the source, “The Florida Beekeeper” Newsletter, 
January 2006. The text in partiality follows:

The “News For South Carolina Beekeepers began,  “Chief Apiarist Jerry 
Hayes sent a letter to all county managers in Florida under the signature 
of Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, which contained the 
following derived from press releases and other information:”
	 ‘It has become clear that the African honey bee population has 
gained a foothold here and will continue to grow in Florida due to its 
numerous pathways into the state and the lack of effective eradication 
products or techniques…’
	‘paragraph omitted…’
	‘One of the fundamental rules of nature is that competition for 
food and nesting resources keeps insect populations in check and low.  If 
not handled properly, gentle honey bees will be artificially excluded from 
an area which would create an un-natural biological void or empty space in 
the environment. Being so closely related to gentle managed honey bees, 
AHB’s would then fill this void because there would be no competition for 
food or mates and they would flourish.’
	‘In order to deter such an environmental void, of major importance 
to the long term mitigation of the AHB is to maintain managed honey bee 
colonies in and around urban/suburban areas. Therefore, we are urging 
municipalities to encourage Registered Florida Beekeepers to place their 
gentle honey bees in those areas in the greatest numbers possible.’
	‘Large populations of European honey bees managed by beekeepers 
are probably our best defense against African bees, “Dr. H. Glenn Hall 
said. “The European honey bees compete with African bees for food sources. 
When they inter-breed with the African bees, their defensive stinging 
behavior is reduced.”’
        ‘We  would strongly encourage you to support and embrace 
Registered Florida Beekeepers in your community.  They are a major part of 
the solution in lessening the negative impact from AHB’s and are a vital 
component in the successful production of fruits, vegetables and nuts that 
feed our growing populations.”’

From the archives: "WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Aurora, 
Colorado has found that honeybees can be maintained within populated areas 
in reasonable NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE 
CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO"


I am sure that much more can be found nowadays and that the threat of AHB 
is far greater now than ever: Anywhere in the USA as migratory beekeepers 
spread the AHB like the SHB has been spread and unscrupulous queen 
breeders ship their AHB queens all over the US.

Chuck Norton
Norton's Nut & Honey Farm
330 Irvin Street

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