At 10:43 PM 1/26/2006, you wrote:
>The inspector is going to have to be knowledgeable, up to date, work excessive hours when he/she is out inspecting, have a portable autoclave, a number of sets of inspection equipment, be provided with a dependable vehicle......


A great list of ideal, I'd love to see such an inspection program funded.  However, that's where the problem is.  Who is going to fund such a program?  Taxpayers?  The beekeepers being inspected?  I'm sure you would hear a huge outcry from beekeepers if anyone proposed the $20+ per hive this type of inspection program would cost.

I'll speak for Ohio since that is what I'm familiar with, though I'm sure many states are in similar situations (some better, some worse):  Ohio funds 2 state apiary inspectors, hardly enough to begin inspecting the 26,000+ hives in the state even to a minimum standard.  This is down from 3 just a few years ago when the budget was cut.  Their duties involve administrating 44 counties each and I'm sure many other duties within the department of agriculture.

Each county hires, sets wage rates for and pays for their county inspector.  With more recent budget cuts at the local level these positions have had pay cuts and often hives are inspected until the money runs out leaving many hives uninspected.  None I've talked to are paid well or are provided a vehicle or any of the more expensive supplies.  And they certainly are not paid any benefits or paid for keeping up to date during the winter, etc.   In recent years it's been difficult to find someone even willing to do the job in many cases.  Plus with budget cuts, some counties have decided not to even fill the position to save money.  (7 counties last year had no inspector at all).

So unless some of the 3000 beekeepers in the state have some serious clout at the state and local level, I really don't see the funding being available to improve much.  The $5 per apiary we pay now for registration I'm sure barely pays the administration feeds of sending out and recording the registrations.  To fund the program with the ideal 6-8 full time inspectors I'd expect it to cost 20-30 per hive and I don't think anyone is willing to pay that.

As it stands now I think it's going to take many of us talking to our state and local officials just to keep the imperfect program we do have.

-Tim


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