I can't believe I am reading this from Peter!

>>...decides it is cheap and easy to restock with wild swarms from the woods, knowing that these are probably African.

Is it easy to catch dozens or hundreds of Africanized swarms in the Southwest?  I'd imagine it would takes weeks if not months.  Would it be worth your time?  I'd rather re-stock with packages and use the time doing actual beekeeping.

>>What do we, up here in the North, do about it? Close the state
borders to bees from out of state?

This would not stop cheaters.  You would probably discourage most, catch a few law breakers, and still some would get through.  It would only slow down the process.

>>Many times I have heard people say that honey bees are protected, exterminators aren't supposed to kill them, etc. Untrue.

It's true that honey bees are unprotected by law but only foolish exterminators try to kill an established colony in a house structure.

>>Bees don't belong in your walls or attic and the quickest and cheapest way to deal with them is to spray now.

Oh, yeah?  Why now and not before?  Go ahead and spray.  But then you have to deal with the liability when the homeowner calls and yells that there is honey dripping from her chandolere and the ceiling and wall are stained.  Not to mention the stench of rotting bees.  It's not just the public that needs to be educated... :-)))

[It's also foolish to have insecticide vapors linger in your house.  So what you can buy a can of wasp spray at Home Depot - it does not mean it's good for your health to spray the stuff in your walls.]

I've cleaned up these grave sites and it's no fun.  And I charge extra for being exposed to insecticide vapors.

Waldemar

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