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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Harry Goudie <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 12 May 2000 10:17:29 +0100
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Tom Barrett wrote:-
> Whan varroa was first discovered in Ireland in 1998, strident efforts were
> made by our Department of Agriculture to eliminate the pest and
> unfortunately to no avail.

I have to say that I disagree with Tom on this statement.  I think the Irish
made a VERY PATHETIC effort to eradicate varroa.  I really can't understand
what their strategy was!  However it was probably slightly better than the
English a few years earlier who seemed to offer no resistance at all to the
invasion of the dreaded mite!
Having said all this perhaps these countries were just being realistic.  I
think it would take an enormous commitment and a lot of money to eradicate
varroa from anywhere and in today's political situation I don't think this
sort of commitment is possible.  However New Zealand may be a special case.
It is remote form all other countries and I believe it would be possible to
eliminate varroa from this island but the cost both financial and to other
wild life might be too high.  There is probably a good case for trying to
maintain a population of varroa free bees on the planet and if the people of
New Zealand wish to do this then I think they should receive  financial
assistance from the rest of the world.  It is, after all,  the rest of the
world's  inability to control the mite that has put New Zealand in its
present position!

Harry

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