Brian Fredericksen <[log in to unmask]> wrote: After reading the latest posts on AHB I just don't  understand why northern beekeepers en masse would not unite across state lines to 
put an end to shipment of bees across state lines .......

My guess is that the media and some politicians will figure out that 
this is crazy and borders will close with in the next 5 years.  Its just 
common sense. 


Brain,
     Are you aware of the dependency that growers have for pollenation by bees located outside of their states?  I think almond pollenation is the biggest crop dependent upon bee pollenation for high nut production.  If California were refused the colonies needed to pollenate all of it's groves there wuold be untold almond producers put out of business.  Even with the pollenation prices per hive jumping almost 300% in some cases there still was a shortage of colonies for pollenation last year.  
     I agree that there needs to be some control on the influx of Africanized bees into the northern tier of states but shutting down the borders is not the sollution.  In the southern states I think most of the knowledgable beekeepers have just accepted the notion that if they aren't coping with AFB hives now, they will be in the next five to ten years.  
     Alabama has had closed borders to the transportation of bees into the state if they are on the comb.  Caged queens and package bees are allowed in, but not hives of bees.  We still got all the monsters that afflict bees.  The closed borders didn't do a thing about stopping the parasites.  Swarms of bees doen't go through state customs inspections, ya know. 

Mike


			
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