[Tyson Kaiser]

It's been noted that A. mellifera ligustica hasn't been imported to the US for decades as a pure breeding stock. Does anyone know of any realistic barriers to importing fresh genetics from Italy or any other European strain to the US, or why this wouldn't be a desirable venture?

 

[Fusion_power]

We still don't have tropilaelaps. From my perspective, if appropriate controls were exercised, it is something that can and should be done.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

1. illegal
2. difficult to isolate all known diseases and parasites
3. unknown diseases and parasites we do not even know to look for

 

[gone2seed]

1. illegal
2. difficult to isolate all known diseases and parasites
3. unknown diseases and parasites we do not even know to look for

Exactly.Don't even think about it.

 

[NW_Mark]

It's been noted that A. mellifera ligustica hasn't been imported to the US for decades as a pure breeding stock. Does anyone know of any realistic barriers to importing fresh genetics from Italy or any other European strain to the US, or why this wouldn't be a desirable venture?

Google Sue Cobay and WSU importing bee seman. What they had to do just for that.

http://entomology.wsu.edu/apis/breeding-program/

 

[Tyson Kaiser]

Google Sue Cobay and WSU importing bee seman. What they had to do just for that.

http://entomology.wsu.edu/apis/breeding-program/

"One of the biggest challenges is the Honeybee Act, introduced by the U.S. government in 1922 to stop all importation of honey bees to the United States for the purpose of preventing the introduction of the tracheal mite. “So all we have is this little population from 1922 that has established our honey bee stock,” says Cobey. She doesn’t think there’s enough genetic diversity for the bees to deal with the new issues they face—from life-threatening parasites to colony collapse."

From an article about Sue Cobey, thanks for the suggestion.