Lloyd Spear wrote: > While I admit migratory beekeepers have to 'make a living', and pollination >is necessary, who gave migratory beekeepers the right to assess monetary >damage on the rest of us? We should all be help responsible for our actions, >but this tiny group is not self-policing and is likely to continue their >unfortunate practices without penalty. > > Some are not, but most are responsible. I think a lot of the problem is that they want to do the right thing, but economics tends to blind them a bit, or at least obscure their sight and judgment. When you are told by the powers that be that there is no AHB in FL and you have aggressive hives, do you send samples of those colonies to confirm they are EHB? I would not. After all, I have had aggressive colonies (but not like the ones I have seen in Maine recently). It is sort of like what happened to me recently. I picked up a bug when visiting PA, which I though was nothing more than a sore throat, and carried it back to Maine. It was a nice, contagious bronchial infection which I kindly shared with many others. I knew I had a problem and did not intentionally spread it. I was not self-policing since there was no way I would stay in PA. After all, it was only a sore throat. Had I gone to a doctor, I might have learned what it was, but I still would have gone back to Maine. The other problem is that, unfortunately, some commercial beekeepers are not always good at identifying problems. They (and this has happened to inspectors, some of whom are less experienced that the ones they are inspecting) might miss a problem completely, or see one when it is something completely different. We have a host of migratory beekeepers here in Maine that both come from the South to pollinate as well as those who summer here and winter in FL. They rely on Tony Jadczak to give them an accurate assessment of the condition of their colonies, and he does. I have been privileged to go with him on inspections of out-of-state pollinators as well as in-state commercial operations and hobby beekeepers. The level of competence of beekeepers runs the gamut of totally clueless to informed, but even the informed learn from him. One reason is, he has seen it all and can identify a problem quickly. Most of the rest of us see the same problems infrequently. I am looked at by other beekeepers as an "expert" but when I am with Tony, I realize that I am a rank amateur. I can look at a frame of bees and see a couple of things while he will point out ten to me that, once I see them, are obvious. Based on the 'teaching lessons" he gives to commercial beekeepers, they are in the same category. They want to do the right thing, but are not up to the task. Finally, the worst offender I have seen who spread disease and mites was not from migratory beekeepers but a local beekeeper. Like Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us." Bill Truesdell Bath, Maine -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---