I agree that the sky will not fall if AHB gets spread all over the place by IMO migratory beekeepers. I mean yeh we can deal with it as beekeepers. IMO packages and caged queens are mostly a sideliner hobbyist product and are more closely watched, then 1000's of migratory colonies where a hot colony can spread their genetics for months before a migratory beekeeper notices them. I have not met many migratory beekeepers who have a lot of spare time for things like that either eh? Anyhow the last post illustrated my major concern and that is the publics perception about "bees" if AHB is documented in numerous northern states and over a large area of the USA. According to my farmers market customers 1 of 3 people are deathly allergic to bee stings and in the fall (yellowjackets) bees are a real pain. With the publics narrow view of bees the presence of AHB in America will take most of the fun out out of being a beekeeper. For now its a romantic sort of profession but we could be viewed as the ENEMY if we are believed to be harboring the DREADED KILLER BEE. The facts will not mean jack if this cat gets out of the bag. I don't think that the migratory people have a clue what kind of trouble this will unleash in the publics mind. To anyone who thinks state or federal regulaion of interstate shipments of bees is unfair just poke around in the poultry, beef or pork industries and see the volumous reams of rules for shipment. I predict we have seen nothing yet and that the hokey inspections which go on currently for shipping out of state will seem rather mundane in the future when public panic plays a more active role in defining laws etc pertaining to honey bees. The public was not a factor with the spread of mites, SHB and other problems. They are in this front and center this time. At some point the public will figure out that the bee indsutry has something to do with the spread of AHB a fact which they are clueless to now. -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---