That's a good question, Mike.  Why *would* someone want to buy
bees and/or queens from New Zealand?
 
(1) COST.  NZ bees are not so expensive as the prices mentioned
seem to indicate.  It really depends on how/from whom you
purchase.  The costs of air freight make up the greatest cost,
obviously, but agents' fees add up if you are buying from well
'down the chain'.  For those who can buy 'near the top', I think
you'll find that NZ bees are competitive in price with those
you'll get from the southern states.
 
(2) BREEDING.  Yes, NZ is well known for its bee breeding.  Our
queen breeders have a good reputation for both their selection
and bee breeding capabilities.  Various strains can be found that
excel in gentleness, frugal over-wintering, quick build up, and a
variety of other traits.  Our bees are not fed with antibiotics
to control AFB.  Our selection, then, has favoured bees with
natural resistance to AFB.  On the other hand, we have the German
and Common wasps (Vespula spp.) so our bees are well suited to
defend their hives against predators.
 
(3) RELATIVELY 'DISEASE FREE'.  Though important for purchasing
queens, it is much more valuable when purchasing packages of
bees.  While a queen in a cage and her attendants are relatively
easy to ensure, say, mite freedom, I would suggest that packages
of bees will be the way most mites will be spread through the US.
 
(4) TIME OF SUPPLY.  As bees/queens are coming from the NZ
autumn, you have fewer problems with your early spring supply
requirements, both in timing and quantity.  As well, you can be
assured the queens are fully mated, as there are a full
complement of natural drones in the mating areas.
 
(5) GENETIC BASE.  Though you may feel confident in dealing with
a reputable southern state breeder, you can be fully assured that
you will not be buying any Africanised genetic material when you
buy NZ stock.  We have had a virtually closed door policy on
genetic material for about 30 years.
 
That's only just what I can think of to start with.  NO ONE IS
TRYING TO MAKE ANYONE BUY OUR BEES.  On the other hand, we feel
that we should have the fair opportunity to establish our
credibility for quality of bees and queens, reliability of supply
and service, now that we have established that they don't pose
any pest/disease risk to the US.
 
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          Nick Wallingford
 (East coast, N Island, New Zealand)
     Internet [log in to unmask]
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