[sqkcrk]

This from a letter that I received from Kevin S. King, Director of Plant Industry, NYS Dept. of Ag&Mkts, "The main focus of the apiary staff (the Apiculturalist and two seasonal staff, ie inspectors) will be certification of bee operations to go to other states. They will also be taking samples from 25 apiaries to support New York's participation in the National Bee Survey being conducted by US Department of agriculture. There are apporoximately 39,000 colonies going out of state this year from over 40 beekeepers and the senior inspectors will be checking approximately 10% of these colonies to certify them."

"The National Bee Survey is to look for the parasitic mite Tropilaelaps. It is not expected to be found in the US, but the government has a stronger argument if it is not found to keep bees out of the US that are exposed to this mite. The survey will also be checking for varroa levels, Nosema ceranae, viruses and genetic background of the bees we have in the US."

Is anyone else aware of this survey? Is anyone here on beesource being surveyed? What has been your experience? Is "25 apiaries" a per state thing as per USDA's idea? I wonder why all of the migratory operations in NYS wouldn't be surveyed, the inspectors have to do almost all of the above for interstate transport anyway?

I'd be interested in hearing about what you know and have experienced.

 

[StevenG]

Hi Mark!

I'm a sideliner, haven't heard anything about what you mentioned. It will be interesting to see how this develops, and is reported in the two main journals (ABJ and BC). Also will be interesting to see how, if at all, this influences importation of bees from Australia.
Regards,
Steven

 

[swarm_trapper]

hey mark i just got my letter today same thing they are doing 25 differant beekeepers but only takeing samples from 8 hives from one or two yards. So no 10% here

 

[sqkcrk]

steve and swarm,
I'm sure that this survey will influence bee imports from Australia and especially if anyone tries to import queens from SE Asia.

What happened to the laws that prohibited importation of queens for last 50 years or more? Were they repealed or ammended to allow "emergency" importations? Or, since AHB has arrived someone figured that bees were importing themselves, so why not us?

This will take some real action to protect our industry.

I'll bet that some of the 25 operations per state will get checked more than one time. When some of the beekeepers that are getting checked in NY return to PA before going onto FL, I'll bet that some of them will get checked in PA, if they haven't already been checked there.

I'm all for checking, by the way. In case someone thought that I wasn't.

 

[swarm_trapper]

im all for checking also.
it does sound like the goal of this is to ban the australian imports i'm all for that too especially if it brings this new mite, the other thing i'm thinking about is even if we stop the imports what if canada dosen't? then well still get it. oh well just makes it more interesting lol.

 

[sqkcrk]

I imagine that Canada would act pretty quickly if they thought that imported queens would bring them topilaelaps. Much of Canada imports packages and queens from Aust. and New Zealand. I still wonder why Ontario and Quebec are closed to entry by U.S. bees. They have everything we have anyway. Seems like they would love to be able to send bees to FL like they used to.

 

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Please expound on this new mite.


Mike

 

[sqkcrk]

A. It isn't new. Not to Apis dorsata in southeast Asia, it's original host.
B. It isn't here in the U.S.
C. I did start another Thread that quotes alot of what is in "Honey Bee Pests, Predators and Pests". Please look for that Thread.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Mike, this is one pest we really don't want in North Americs. Unfortunately, our Gov't has decided that the Almond growers are more important that our bees. They continue to allow Australian packages into this country when there is a real risk of introducing Tropilaelaps. One of the hosts is Apis cerana, the Asian honey bee.

Australia has been finding swarms of A cerana in the Northeast of the country...only about 1500 miles from the package bee producing region. While the Australian inspectors have been looking for Tropilaelaps, they haven't found it...yet. They will. Eventually one of these swarms entering Australia from Indonesia or wherever, will have TC. Will they find it in time? I doubt it. One TC here in North America will mean our bees will become infested with this pest forever...that's Forever!

It is a very tough little critter. I've been told that it is a great control for Varroa. Where you have TC, you have no Varroa. No bees either.

One thing, they need brood to survive. If your bees go through a broodless period in winter, the TC will die.

We've tried stopping Australian packages. No dice. Aphis...animal plant health inspection service...says the WTO rules prevent us from stopping the packages because Australia doesn't have any pests or parasites or bee diseases that we don't already have. Well, that's bogus. We don't have Apis cerana. We don't want it either.

Oh well, Almonds rule.

 

[sqkcrk]

We've tried stopping Australian packages. No dice. Aphis...animal plant health inspection service...says the WTO rules prevent us from stopping the packages because Australia doesn't have any pests or parasites or bee diseases that we don't already have. Well, that's bogus. We don't have Apis cerana. We don't want it either.

Oh well, Almonds rule.

Why doesn't the WTO do the same w/ Canada so US bees can go north to pollinate Blueberries?

Good reply Mike. er, Michael.

 

[indypartridge]

Indiana is participating in the Bee Survey. At our State Assn summer meeting the State Apiary Inspector asked for volunteers, saying she needed to inspect at least 25 apiaries, taking samples from 8 colonies. She said the purpose is to try to establish some kind of baseline of honey bee health. Bees from the selected colonies would be tested for a variety diseases while wax would be tested for various chemical residues.

 

[sqkcrk]

saying she needed to inspect at least 25 apiaries,

25 Apiaries, or 25 beekeeping operations. I am under the assumption that it is 25 beekeeping operations, because of who I know is being samples from. Here in NY they are, so far, only commercial migratory beekeeping operations.

 

[indypartridge]

25 Apiaries, or 25 beekeeping operations? I am under the assumption that it is 25 beekeeping operations...

I don't know for sure. I know that our Apiary Inspector mentioned that since Indiana is primary a sideliner/hobbyist state - with very few full-time, commercial beeks - that she was looking for anyone with at least 8 colonies to volunteer. Further, she wanted to pull samples from around the state, and not just a few areas.

 

[sqkcrk]

They continue to allow Australian packages into this country when there is a real risk of introducing Tropilaelaps. One of the hosts is Apis cerana, the Asian honey bee.

Australia has been finding swarms of A cerana in the Northeast of the country...only about 1500 miles from the package bee producing region. While the Australian inspectors have been looking for Tropilaelaps, they haven't found it...yet. They will. Eventually one of these swarms entering Australia from Indonesia or wherever, will have TC. Will they find it in time? I doubt it. One TC here in North America will mean our bees will become infested with this pest forever...that's Forever!

Oh well, Almonds rule.

Now here is one prime area where State Apiary Programs are really falling short and being almost useless. It's great that they are telling us now about this program. But why weren't we beekeepers informed before the season and the survey even got started? Why weren't we informed by our State Ag Depts what is going on in Australia? Was this reported in any of the bee mags and I just missed it, because I just styarted getting them again? I didn't hear anything about this in FL at the ABF Conf. and I didn't hear about this at our State Association Summer Picnic when we were addressed by the new Director of Plant Industry. maybe I was sleeping at the time.

I know people who get a jump on the season of split making by buying queens from Australia. I don't know if their knowing about T. clareae would stop them from ordering queens from Australia, but I hope it would. I'm sure going to talk to them about it.