# No Aussie Bees For 09?



## Nick Noyes (Apr 28, 2005)

Is it true they have stopped the imports of aussie bees due to a new pest they found? That should have an impact on available bees for almonds if its true.
Also hearing horror stories of large amounts of bees crashing already.
Anybody got any facts?


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*No Aussies*

Now that would make a merry Christmas!:waiting:


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## MABee (Jun 18, 2007)

*Good ?*

Have seen both suppliers advertising Aussie packages in December issue of ABJ.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

what is the new pest?


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*Replay*

Of course last year when they showed the correlation with IAPV and Aussies there was a brief time when it appeared they may be excluded. Could be a rehash of old stuff.


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## Angi_H (Feb 9, 2008)

YES GUYS IT IS TRUE. I am back fresh from the California Almond baord meeting with beekeepers. And the news is AS OF RIGHT NOW NO AU BEES WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE STATES. This is because they found either n. cerena Virus or one of the other n. virus diseases. They are working hard to try to figure out what to do. Also Varoa was found. As well as a Apis cerana was found they think. They may be allowed on a quarenteen basis or on a special circumstance.


This was the news from From the top state bee people.


Angi 
I will make a special post on the Ca Almond board meeting


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Last I heard:

http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2008.12.09.13.53.archive.html
The Asian bee can carry some really nasty stuff we dont have here yet ,so a ban would be sensible. But money talks..........


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Angi_H said:


> As well as a Apis cerana was found they think.


Since we already have both nosemas, could the Apis cerana be the problem? It is the host of Tropilaelaps, and worse than varroa, I've been told. They did find one incidence of 
A. cerana last year.


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

Michael Palmer said:


> Since we already have both nosemas, could the Apis cerana be the problem? It is the host of Tropilaelaps, and worse than varroa, I've been told. They did find one incidence of
> A. cerana last year.


Tropilaelaps original host is Apis Dorsata, the giant honey bee in Asia and Indonesia. They have jumped to both Apis melifera and Apis cerana. They breed at about 25 times the rate of varroa, so they would indeed represent a significant threat to our industry. Since Australia is so close to Indonesia, they will probably be "ground zero" for the spread of Tropilaelaps. If there is any indication that they are starting to spread to Australia, it would certainly be prudent to nip it in the bud now.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Gene Weitzel said:


> it would certainly be prudent to nip it in the bud now.


And that's what the growers are concerned about, "buds" not "bees".


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

VERY,VERY well said,praise the nut.:shhhh:


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## Angi_H (Feb 9, 2008)

Well as the one guy was going to say what they thought it was he was about to say it when the other apiarist guy sitting just down from me in the front row said dont say it yet. As it is not yet confirmed. So he went with a few of the other things that they knew they had found near Carnes Au. Which is A. Cernia and a few other things. BUt as of right now it is a no go but they had said they might lean toward a temporary permit to allow them with a quarenteen process. We will know more in the next few weeks as they work through things and make sure what they found and what they want to do and how will it effect pollination for the coming bloom.

Angi


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## Matt Beekman (Dec 15, 2007)

I was wondering if anyone knows if Canada is not allowing Australian packages in as well. If so, that would probably put a lot of pressure on opening the border to US packages.


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## MABee (Jun 18, 2007)

*Are Aussies locked out?*

I have sent emails to two US/Australian packages suppliers and they sound very sure that they can fill a package order for almonds. Like I said in the other post. I never asked about a quarantine, just if they could supply bees. No hesitations, no excuses, just a straight foward yes!
Anyone else hear rock solid info of the Aussies being banned/locked out this year?


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

*RE Canada , Matt Beekman*

Why we are so slow and backwards up here in the north that all the bad stuff could be here already...... and the gov't boys wouldn't know it.,.......... till its too late
Could all this be weather related, see --- http://text.www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?mb-16&unit=m , 
for my current conditions , -36 celcuis with the windchill 

Canadian Honey council meeting this month in Niagra Falls.... Councils accomplishments for the last 20 years could be counted on one hand . Can't see them banning Aussie pkg's. Bees are in short supply, even a movement underway to look for new sources of package bees.
Seems that some of these pro self suffient Canadian beekeepers suffered some higher than normal losses in the past and found out u can't have both, a honey crop and making up ur losses.
That US/Canadian border was closed 23 YEARS AGO cause some little gov't bureocat was in fear ( African bees ) and needed to cover his large But .This DECIMANTED the California producers and produced alot of hard feelings on both sides of the border towards Canadian GOV'T officals


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## Angi_H (Feb 9, 2008)

Of corse the Au packeage business guys are going to tell you yes they can fill them. They will tell you yes till they get the final word in 2 or 3 weeks maybe a bit longer till they figure out what the heck is going on. What I dont understand is why in the heck would the US knowenly allow them to come in even under a special permit knowing what they are carrying that is just asking for new troubles on top of other troubles we already have. I would say keep them out at lease for this year till they are absoulutly sure they are not horboring anything that could desimate out business here. I have nothing against Au. I actually love au and would want to move and live there in the future.

Angi


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## MABee (Jun 18, 2007)

I figure they are considering allowing it because there is a lot of money involved on both sides. Word is the USDA will be making a ruling on allowing the imports this Tuesday. Lets hope the big shots at the USDA care about the health of our American bees!


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

Its all a money and power thing.If the growers feel there is a shortage of bees you can bet a dollar to a doenut the packages will be in the united states.Once again no one can answer any question till the problem arises,and mother nature is finished.:no:


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## RDY-B (May 20, 2007)

loggermike said:


> Last I heard:
> 
> http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2008.12.09.13.53.archive.html
> The Asian bee can carry some really nasty stuff we dont have here yet ,so a ban would be sensible. But money talks..........


http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2008.12.15.10.46.archive.html

http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0812c&L=bee-l&T=0&P=1016

 
RDY-B


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## florida pollinator (Jul 31, 2006)

I've gotten alot , maybe 1200 queens from there in the last 3 years, no better ,no worse than any others.
The email I got from B Weaver, said that as of last friday that Apis,and the Usda were considering closing the border soon, because of the Apis Cerana, found near Cairns, and the Ausie government not answering questions as to how they are handling the eradication effort, and seemed to be moved by anti import folks to end allowing shipment here.


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## magnet-man (Jul 10, 2004)

This would be a good story for the network news to pickup on. Hint hint.


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## Angi_H (Feb 9, 2008)

Hey Magnet-man I know this is off topic hey can you send me a pm. I had a wuestion about your bee suites /jackets. I saw one of your jackets when I met with Gregg Stewart when he was working his bees out here in Ca. And I think that it was fantastic especially in our hot 110+summers and doing cutouts removals. Please shoot me a pm or email me [email protected]

Angi


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If the Canadians don't ban them then it will only delay things...


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

MABee said:


> I figure they are considering allowing it because there is a lot of money involved on both sides. Word is the USDA will be making a ruling on allowing the imports this Tuesday. Lets hope the big shots at the USDA care about the health of our American bees!


Rather than just talking about the problem, why not write your congress men/women? If we just sit on our hands, and bite out tongues, we're going to get Tropilaelaps. I don't care what any gov't says. I don't care what APHIS says. I don't really care about almond growers. If we get that bug here, there won't be any almond pollination, honey production, BeeSource, or Bee-L. 

It's gonna be all over folks.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

*Aussie pacs*

I believe that Canada did not allow Australian packages in 2008 on account of the SHB. Most packages come from the Queensland area, close to Sydney (international airport). This area has plenty of SHB. Canada on the other hand does not have too many SHB and wants to keep it that way.There had been some talk about getting packages out of western Australia which is apparently free of SHB. I'm not 100% sure if this plan worked out or not.

Jean-Marc


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

jean-marc said:


> I believe that Canada did not allow Australian packages in 2008 on account of the SHB.


Its hard to imagine that shb would ever be a problem in Canada. As a creature of the tropics their ability to survive a Candian winter or even reproduce successfully in the summer just doesn't seem likely.
Leave it to the bureaucrats.......


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

beemandan said:


> As a creature of the tropics their ability to survive a Candian winter or even reproduce successfully in the summer just doesn't seem likely.


One wouldn't think they would be a problem in Wisconsin either, but I've heard reports of them getting into the honey house, causing problems in the stacks waiting for extraction and in the cappings awaiting rendering. I am not sure if they can winter indoors here but bees brought up from the south bring them and they do cause problems in fall here and I assume might impact nucs and splits earlier.
They can reproduce in summer here.
Sheri


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

JohnK and Sheri said:


> They can reproduce in summer here.


I was thinking more in terms of their abilityto reproduce is sufficient quantities to replace their winter losses. Can they sustain their populations in those northern climates? I figured the shortened warm season would limit them. Here in the piedmont of Ga they are on the boundary of that range, I believe. In the North Ga mountains they are a nuisance, at worst. But Canada? or WI or MN? I wouldn't have thought so.....but it wouldn't be the first time I was mistaken. I know that they can be brought in from the south. But will their populations grow without that migration?
I hadn't thought about the mess they can make in a honey house.....although I've seen it first hand.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

beemandan said:


> Can they sustain their populations in those northern climates? I figured the shortened warm season would limit them. Here in the piedmont of Ga they are on the boundary of that range, I believe. In the North Ga mountains they are a nuisance, at worst. But Canada? or WI or MN?


My initial infestation was caused by neighbors bringing in nucs from SC. First year wasn't too bad. A couple weak nucs with clusters of shb larvae on pollen. 50 beetles on the top bars of mating nucs. No damage. Second year, they showed up in my storage barn. Slimed a pallet of brood combs. Larvae parading across the concrete floor, and out the door. I burned the whole mess. Showed up in the hot room too. Learned real quick to extract right off. So I started thinking about coolers, and de-humidifiers, and beetle traps. The third year, in March, I am seeing beetles exiting nuc feeders as I'm filling them. Oh cute. They are wintering in Vermont. 

Then we had a cold winter. I haven't seen 10 beetles in the last 2 seasons.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Michael Palmer said:


> Learned real quick to extract right off.


That's been my response over the past few seasons. I'll only remove the supers I can extract within 24 hours. Its a pain.



Michael Palmer said:


> Then we had a cold winter. I haven't seen 10 beetles in the last 2 seasons.


This was what I would expect.

Ah well....we've gotten far afield from the original thread. But, it just struck me that shb would be a poor reason to refuse Aussie packages into Canada....on the other hand, I can think of a number of very good reasons.


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## MABee (Jun 18, 2007)

Still no ruling from USDA. I was told today that "technically" the border is still open until the ruling. No shipments have been made though, being that if the USDA rules to block shipments those delivered or in transit would be destoyed! Know more possibly Friday.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>n. cerena 

I know a fellow who studdied nosema 10 years ago, finnished his schooling on it.
Turns out the nosema he was studding was not apis, but rather cerena,


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## cleareyes (Mar 2, 2008)

*SHB in Canada*



beemandan said:


> Its hard to imagine that shb would ever be a problem in Canada. As a creature of the tropics their ability to survive a Candian winter or even reproduce successfully in the summer just doesn't seem likely.
> Leave it to the bureaucrats.......


SHB was found in Quebec, Canada last fall. The "experts" think it has been in the south eastern part of the province for at least two years. It seems that it went through a full reproduction cycle. 
I was told that some in favor of opening the borders on the Canadian Honey Council welcome these news as an extra arguement to have it open.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>I was told that some in favor of opening the borders on the Canadian Honey Council welcome these news as an extra arguement to have it open.


I really doubt that,


I havent heard of this as of yet, perhaps I have missed this in the beekeeping news. Do you have a link to a publication referencing this? Anything that I have read doesnt mention anything about the beetles reproducing over two years,


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## cleareyes (Mar 2, 2008)

Ian said:


> >>I havent heard of this as of yet, perhaps I have missed this in the beekeeping news. Do you have a link to a publication referencing this? Anything that I have read doesnt mention anything about the beetles reproducing over two years,


It's in french... second pdf file
http://www.agrireseau.qc.ca/apiculture/default.aspx

Those who have checked out the apiaries at the end of summer believe that it was here since at least two years. They have come to that conclusion because, the SHB had a complete cycle, which means the SHB larvae went into the soil and reproduced itself. This is the explanation I was told last november during our beekeeping meeting. How do they know this, I don't know! I'm not an expert...

You can doubt what ever you want... Those who are for border opening will use it as an argument. Why wouldn't they?


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## Jon L (Dec 29, 2007)

Mike palmer brought up Tropilaelaps this mite alone should be reason to close the border.

"The life cycle and parasitism of A. mellifera by Tropilaelaps is similar to that of Varroa destructor
although there are slight differences. Tropilaelaps has a higher reproductive rate than varroa as it
has a shorter life cycle. This is because they have a faster development time and a shorter phoretic
phase (non-reproductive transport phase, time spent on the adult bees) between reproductive
cycles. Consequently, when both types of mite are present in the same colony Tropilaelaps
populations build up far more rapidly than varroa, by a factor of 25:1 in favour of Tropilaelaps.
I got this from here
www.defra.gov.uk/hort/Bees/pdf/trop.pdf 

makes for scary reading


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

While officially there are no varroa or Tropilaelaps mites in Australia, one has to wonder how hard are they looking? What kind of testing is being done in the package producers yards to detect low levels? Anything less than a 24 hour forced drop onto sticky boards would be inadequate,in my opinion.
I also find it suspicious that no mites were found in any of the Apis cerana exterminated so far. If we ever get this mite in the USA you can just bet it will be from Australian bees.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=7393

"The particularity of this event is the detection of specimens of adults and of larvae of Aethina tumida. This suggests, for the first time in Canada, that the reproductive cycle has been completed. "
-Information received on 07/10/2008 from Dr Brian Evans, Chief Veterinary Officer, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

This is interesting, now we have beetles that have completed the whole cycle. It will be interesting to see how well they are able to establish thier population trying to survive in a unfavourable breeding climate. Perhaps the populations will die off with the deaths of the wintering hives, unless they are able to sustain thier growth and development

>>You can doubt what ever you want.

My doubt is that they are making that kind of a comment on record, or are they? If they are, they might want to watch what


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Jon L said:


> Consequently, when both types of mite are present in the same colony Tropilaelaps
> populations build up far more rapidly than varroa, by a factor of 25:1 in favour of Tropilaelaps.
> I got this from here
> www.defra.gov.uk/hort/Bees/pdf/trop.pdf
> ...


Diana Sammataro, in a talk on mites of the world, said that where both mites are present, Tropilaelaps would control the Varroa population. Further, that Tropilaelaps can't survive in colonies without brood. Now, I keep bees in the north, and our bees have a broodless period each winter. And, we need help controlling our varroa. So......?


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

So.... varroa problem solved Except those of us whose bees never really go broodless will keep them alive, to deliver to you the following spring:thumbsup:


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## J-Bees (Jul 12, 2008)

MABee said:


> Lets hope the big shots at the USDA care about the health of our American bees!


you are kidding??


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

loggermike said:


> So.... varroa problem solved Except those of us whose bees never really go broodless will keep them alive, to deliver to you the following spring:thumbsup:


Nah, the other way around. All your bee will die off every year, and we'll have the replacement nucs waiting for you in the spring. The country of California will gladly import replacement stock from the country of New England, because we don't have anything that you don't. Of course, New England will ban imports from California, because CA has Tropilaelaps, and NE doesn't.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

It does seem funny to be joking about a mite that may never get here. But I can recall that most didn't worry about varroa and tracheal mites either,until they were on the doorstep.
I guess if it gets here, I will go to Plan B. :shhhh:


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

loggermike said:


> It does seem funny to be joking about a mite that may never get here.


I guess that sooner or later, it will get here. Everything else has. Hopefully later, which is what this is all about. And I don't know what else to do about it other that at least make a joke once in awhile. I've written my grongressmen. I have a ongoing dialog with the administrative assistant to my Rep in the US House...which started 2 years ago after I was taped for VPR. So kidding or not, I do realize that it's no joke.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

MABee said:


> Lets hope the big shots at the USDA care about the health of our American bees!


>>you are kidding??<<

I'm sure they do. The question really is, do they care about the almond growers more than the bees. What do you think the Apple, blueberry, curbit, alfalfa seed, and other growers think about all this? Would they block Australian bees if they knew the policy just might limit their access pollinators in the future?


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

Michael Palmer said:


> >>you are kidding??<<
> 
> I'm sure they do. The question really is, do they care about the almond growers more than the bees. What do you think the Apple, blueberry, curbit, alfalfa seed, and other growers think about all this? Would they block Australian bees if they knew the policy just might limit their access pollinators in the future?


So maybe someone should "put a bee" in their collective bonnets. No reason we should have to fight this battle alone.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Gene Weitzel said:


> So maybe someone should "put a bee" in their collective bonnets. No reason we should have to fight this battle alone.


OK then. Where do WE go from here? I have some orchards I can call. Small compared to the Almonds. Someone want to write a letter? Someone want to come up with a list of US growers of...I guess the Almonds don't want to hear it. Or the seedless mandarins, either.


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

Michael Palmer said:


> OK then. Where do WE go from here? I have some orchards I can call. Small compared to the Almonds. Someone want to write a letter? Someone want to come up with a list of US growers of...I guess the Almonds don't want to hear it. Or the seedless mandarins, either.


North American Blueberry Council - http://www.nabcblues.org/index.html

US Apple Association - http://www.usapple.org/index.cfm

North American Alfalfa Improvement Council - http://www.naaic.org/

I could not find a North America based cucurbit growers group. The UK has a Cucumber Growers Association, but I don't know if such an animal exists here.


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

Like said above I will add some, dont think anyone (government) cares about beekeepers like they do almonds, a lot more money in almonds than bee's, they don't care what bee's or insects pollinate the almonds as long as the yield is good, money talks in this country, big business has run this country for years and still does, its who can buy the votes, they dont care about long range futures unless it their own pockets, enough said its going off topic, we will just have to deal with what happens :doh:


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Here's an email I got this morning. 


From: "Kim Flottum" <[email protected]>
Subject: CATCH THE BUZZ Oz Imports to continue, it seems
X-Ezezine: (1636.15745.3099)


This ezine is also available online at http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2008.12.24.14.48.archive.html


CATCH THE BUZZ

Imports From Australia To Continue...

This came across my keyboard earlier today. Due to the Holiday I have not been able to confirm it, nor am I certain of the conditions that were agreed upon. However, quarantines around those areas where Apis cerana have been discovered were discussed, security at the origianl port of entry and at additional ports were checked, samples were examined for exotic diseases and pests with none found (or none in European bees anyway), and determination of the extent of the original infestation and its spread made and found to be marginal. But, as I said, I haven't been able to confrim all of these conditions yet. I imagine we will have all the details shortly after the Holiday. 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 11:42 AM, <[email protected]> wrote:

Thank you for contacting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) with your concerns about honeybee imports from Australia. APHIS has decided that based on the information provided by Australia, we will continue to allow imports of honeybees under the revised export certification conditions that were agreed to by APHIS and the Australian Embassy earlier this month. 



Please contact me if you have any further questions. 


__________________________________



Janel Barsi


Plant Health Programs


Plant Protection and Quarantine


Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service



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