To Bob and all concerned,

During my preparations for the article, “The Price of California’s Almond
Pollination” I had no idea that the spread and the concern of the
Africanized Honey Bee, AHB, would be as great as what I read TODAY. This
LIST is only a tip of a vast field of continuously calving icebergs that
is demonstrating concern, distaste, and fear of the AHB. I had no idea
that solely, the simple fear of AHB would become as rampant during the
next 9 months (Research and writing began in February, 2005) as it is
TODAY. I also had no idea that the spread of AHB in Florida, and other
parts of North America would be as rapid as what I hear and have heard.

I did gather a lot of facts and rumors that were not published concerning
shipments of packages and queens possibly having AHB queens and drones; to
publish such information at that time would have been considered
irresponsible; would it have been? The question is of course rhetorical. I
learned of Florida’s AHB ACTION PLAN several months before it was
published and I quoted parts of it and Jerry’s correspondence in the
second Part.

While gleaning almost every bit of published material available to this
writer I learned of the spread of AHB throughout South America from the
time a technician mistakenly opened Pandora’s Box and released the this
aggressively dominant version of Apis mellifera to “today” which created a
rapid diminishment of hobbyist beekeeping in Brazil and Venezuela.  I
learned also that very slowly, beekeepers returned to the practice; and,
the practice of hobbyist and commercial beekeeper alike adapted to
different methods that continue to pupate as the evolutionary
metamorphosis of “The Practice” and the skills required to deal with this
adversary grow.

Like the Varroa, AHB is here to stay.  We, YOU AND I, as responsible
beekeepers HAVE TO SPREAD THE WORD.  We have to spread the WORD to ALL OF
BEEKEEPING, THE GOVERNMENT; THE PUBLIC, AND, THE PRESS. To other
beekeepers we need to stop sloppy practices of beekeeping. Like the
Varroa, the harboring of AHB in our hives with current practices of
feeding syrup, pollen substitute, Blankets in the north, etc. will only
promote the sub species existence allowing mutation to exist in the colder
temperate regions that once were barriers to it natural range. To the
Press, and the public we need to reduce the fear by education and
demonstration. To the GOVERNMENT we need to combat local laws that would
result in further invasion of AHB; and, we need a greater funding and
support of the USDA-ARS bee labs as well as the many university and
private research organizations. WE must demand support! WE should also
call for the isolated banking of the many races and sub-races of Apis
mellifera that has been so painstakingly developed within the past 50
years, brother Adam too!

Thirty years from now beekeeping in North America will have changed; I for
one truly enjoy working my bees on a nice warm spring day in shorts and a
tee shirt with just a helmet for a covering. I have worked aggressive
colonies with horrid distaste and now quickly requeen and split at the
repeated aggressiveness- red thumbtack left front. Most likely I won’t be
around then, but I hope that others will continue with this noble
profession, and that they will feel as one with nature and the wonderful
honey bee as I do today.

Chuck Norton

Somewhere in the jungles of New Caledonia looking for Bill

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---