# General beekeeping > Bee health >  Small Hive Beetle in mainland Europe

## gavin

This came in on Bee-L overnight.  

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Italy's CRA (Ministry of Agriculture's research institute) just  announced the finding of SHB in Southern Italy. Europe was previously  free from SHB. We hope that Italian authorities will succeed in they  efforts to eradicate the new exotic pest. Our concern is for organic  beekeeping which is well developed in Italy: in your experience are  organic methods for SHB control effective?
Thanks
Umberto

-- Umberto Vesco
DVM, PhD
Italy

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## GRIZZLY

Lets hope to goodness that the authorities get off their backsides and zap it before it becomes established and follows the path of varroa.

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## Jon

Lets hope there are immediate restrictions on the movement of bees out of Italy.

The bees in the documentary went to Hereford.
I remember a couple of years ago Murray posted photos on BKF showing the bees moving from Hereford, isn't that a Coop farm, Later in the year they were moved up to the heather in the Highlands.
When is this madness which puts commercial interests before risk of a new pathogen going to stop?

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## fatshark

... and only a year ago the EU published a 127 page risk assessment on SHB and Tropilaelaps importation/introduction to Europe (http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/3128.pdf). They know the risks and must act promptly. Previous imports of SHB larvae to Portugal were effectively controlled by colony destruction, covering the ground with plastic and soaking in permethrin. Not exactly the organic control the Italian DVM asked about on Bee-L.

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## gavin

The official announcement was yesterday, the discovery on 5th September.  It appears to have been in a bait hive run by the University of Reggio Calabria nr the port of Gioia Tauro.  Run this:

http://www.mieliditalia.it/index.php...-api-in-italia

through Google Translate and you get this:

*Another plague of bees in Italy*

   

  September 12, 2014   The CRA-api officially announced that has been identified an outbreak of _small hive beetle_ in the province of Reggio Calabria.   It is a beetle of the family of Nititulidi that had invaded North  America in the late 90s, causing enormous damage to beekeeping, with  infestation levels (several hundred larvae and adults) ever found in  Africa, its area of origin. 
*E  'was found Sept. 5 in a "core bait" place from' Agricultural University  of Reggio Calabria in the vicinity of the port of Gioia Tauro.* Following the ' official identification, the Ministry of Health  has taken the first steps of alarm, with controls in all apiaries  within a radius of 20 km and in the tracing and control of all apiaries  that have nomadism in the area at risk. 
*Given  the severity of the event, it is appropriate that all beekeepers  proceed to the immediate area involved, careful and systematic  observation of their hives.* 
 In order to identify any symptoms of the presence of the parasite, the following documentation with some identification keys. 
   In case of doubt, in addition to the complaint to the local veterinary  service, you should immediately contact your network service SPY BeeNet (  *reporting form to Beenet , Voicemail BeeNet Tel. 051 361 466)* 
  The prof.   Vincent Palmeri, University of Reggio Calabria, author of the discovery  and identification of the exotic pest, warned the Ministry of Health  and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to be activated so  that the necessary procedures to limit and eradicate any further other  outbreaks and prevent the spread of the pest throughout the country. 
*Documentation given by the CRA-api:* 

 How to check the hives to diagnose the presence of the _small hive beetle_ More insights on _small hive beetle_ Link to SPIA , the Emergency Response System of Beekeeping Beenet

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## Rosie

> The official announcement was yesterday, the discovery on 5th September.  It appears to have been in a bait hive run by the University of Reggio Calabria nr the port of Gioia Tauro.


This is the depressing bit.  The source could have been spreading these for ages before it finally got to a University hive.  You can bet that the British authorities will do too little too late.

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## Bumble

That's disappointing, but thanks for the heads up Gavin.

I wonder how long it will take for the British media to run the story.

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## Jon

If they can link it to Neonicotinoid pesticides they will run it.
The UK press is a one trick pony with regard to reporting on bees.

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## gavin

To be fair the nuttier end of the beekeeping spectrum might be the place that starts, although bits of the press might then repeat it.

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## The Drone Ranger

Watched the BBC program with Murray M in Italy.
Blimey what a palaver for 291 packages.
I produced 30 x 6 frame nucs this year and have 14 to overwinter 
Pretty easy really and its a hobby for me
That's the trouble with subsidy you cant find enough Italians to give it to

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## Pete L

> Blimey what a palaver for 291 packages.


I believe the loads are supposed to be of four hundred packages, similar amount this year, up to around five thousand packages in total, looks like a nice drive over there.

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## mbc

> I believe the loads are supposed to be of four hundred packages, similar amount this year, up to around five thousand packages in total, looks like a nice drive over there.


That'll be the end of that income stream for those poor sods.  I guess many Italian beekeepers will be having their colonies destroyed pretty soon, I cant imagine the heartbreak and trauma will be nice, I know of a few ex dairy farmers who have had the stuffing knocked right out of them when they've lost their herds to tb or foot and mouth. 
Those beekeepers and their families will be in my prayers.

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## mbc

> This is the depressing bit.  The source could have been spreading these for ages before it finally got to a University hive.  You can bet that the British authorities will do too little too late.


How can you say that when we already have the sentinel apiary program ? (otherwise known as the horse has bolted program) :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 
I imagine an immediate ban on bee imports from Italy will be put in place, but considering the size of the queenrearing industry they have, unless those operations are given massive assistance to diversify, those queens will find a way of getting everywhere by the back door regardless, that is the depressing bit, it could hardly have found a worse place in Europe to get a foot hold, I bet theres bee exporters having their sales inventories investigated thoroughly to try and track where bees from this region have already gone as we speak.

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## Rosie

> I imagine an immediate ban on bee imports from Italy will be put in place,


It's already 10 days since the beetles were found.  I am not holding my breath but let's hope you are right mbc.

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## busybeephilip

Well - it was eventually going to arrive at some time in europe or the UK through bee imports or soil imports.  For the last 2 years Ive been ready for it.  I've got my traps already prepared and bought a load of boric acid (yes, yet another acid to add to the beekeepers arsenal ) before prices go sky high. The acid is cheap to buy but no doubt when it is reformulated into "Hivevar,  Beetle gone strips (BGS), Hive Beetle gel, Beetle gel, Hivegaurd, Hive beetle clean,  Hive drench, hive wipe, Borohive, beetle catch, hive trap, beetle juice or some other catchy name it will quadruple in price

I beleive Varroa is a cuddly kitten compared to this bad boy

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## mbc

> Well - it was eventually going to arrive at some time in europe or the UK through bee imports or soil imports.  For the last 2 years Ive been ready for it.  I've got my traps already prepared and bought a load of boric acid (yes, yet another acid to add to the beekeepers arsenal ) before prices go sky high. The acid is cheap to buy but no doubt when it is reformulated into "Hivevar,  Beetle gone strips (BGS), Hive Beetle gel, Beetle gel, Hivegaurd, Hive beetle clean,  Hive drench, hive wipe, Borohive, beetle catch, hive trap, beetle juice or some other catchy name it will quadruple in price
> 
> I beleive Varroa is a cuddly kitten compared to this bad boy


Lol.
re. the cuddly kitten, I doubt it, North American beekeepers at similar latitudes to the British Isles dont seem to find hive beetles much of a problem by all accounts.

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## busybeephilip

Some of the video footage on you tube is really revolting. It does not take that long to destroy a hive

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## Jon

Hope you are right MBC but the authorities should do everything possible to prevent the arrival of a new pest.
It likely has to potential to do a lot of damage in the South of England where it is a bit warmer than oop north.

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## prakel

> It likely has to potential to do a lot of damage in the South of England where it is a bit warmer than oop north.


Despite the clear assurance of one large scale bee-farmer that it'll never be a problem in the UK I can't help but think that you're probably right Jon, at the very least we probably need to assume the worst. One thing for sure, we will see for ourselves in time. 
-----------
I was intrigued to read a post on biobees earlier which stated that a lot of German beekeepers overwinter their colonies in Italy. Hadn't realized that previously.

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## Jon

We have a few bee dealers in Ireland who bring in Buckfast queens and packages from Germany.

The bee farmers will not say anything which might jeopardize their current right to move bees packages and queens from one jurisdiction to another.

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## Black Comb

Nothing on NBU site yet.

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## mbc

> Hope you are right MBC but the authorities should do everything possible to prevent the arrival of a new pest.
> 100% agree
> It likely has to potential to do a lot of damage in the South of England where it is a bit warmer than oop north.


It prefers sandy soils, so they say.

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## brecks

> It prefers sandy soils, so they say.


Bu**ar!  My hives are on sandy soil.

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## Jon

This notice is just out from the NBU

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## gavin

> This notice is just out from the NBU


Hmmnn.  Take a look at the official record of imports from EU countries for 2014.  

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/bee...portReport.cfm

Italy 2014: Nearly three thousand *recorded* imported queens (second greatest Europe source, in 27 consignments), _one_ consignment inspected.

Italy 2013: Italy was the EU country sending the greatest number of packages to the UK.  800 of them.  _Three_ consignments inspected.

So, what now?  Wait to see what really is happening in Italy?  Demand that the doors are closed right now to bees from Italy?  Demand that the doors are closed to any importation from anywhere?  Why are we importing so many bees and queens anyway - there seems no earthly reason why we cannot raise the bee stocks needed ourselves.  Of course, there is also a risk from other bulk transport but moving bees must be a huge risk.

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## prakel

> Italy 2014: Nearly three thousand *recorded* imported queens


I never quite understand why people would go to the trouble to sneak in bees from EU countries when it can so easily be done legally. If anything, I'd be questioning whether an operation that smuggles bees in is actually trying to remain under the radar to hide an existing disease issue in their own stocks which has so far gone unreported.

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## Black Comb

Nothing in NBU notice to say imports from Italy are banned.
Should be.

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## GRIZZLY

There seem to be very few inspections of imported material  in the Defra report.

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## fatshark

There is a recent precedent for the precautionary principle being used to protect honeybee health. Perhaps there would be a two year moratorium imposed on imports?

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## The Drone Ranger

imported Queens should  be a very low risk compared to packages
The escort bees are changed and the cage replaced before queens are sold on
The cages and escort bees are handed over for checking by Defra

By contrast somebody driving to Italy and collecting hundreds of packages without brood
Then returning and putting them in a hive with imported queens of another breed is a health minefield
I realise people who make their living from bees get leeway and subsidy
Sadly with 500 empty hives to fill one might say its time to get better at the job or do something else

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## Duncan

> imported Queens should  be a very low risk compared to packages
> The escort bees are changed and the cage replaced before queens are sold on
> The cages and escort bees are handed over for checking by Defra


This only applies to imports from third countries - not for intra-community trade.

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## The Drone Ranger

> This only applies to imports from third countries - not for intra-community trade.


Thanks Duncan good point

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## Rosie

Didn't the Portugese small hive beetle incident start with an American queen import?

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## prakel

A good SHB reference here{

http://www.extension.org/sites/defau...Beetle_IPM.pdf

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## gavin

> A good SHB reference here{
> 
> http://www.extension.org/sites/defau...Beetle_IPM.pdf


The buggers even beg food from workers!!  These beetles have no shame.

That is indeed an excellent read, many thanks.  Something to go back to when we need a reference.  One thing I noted is the discussion on preferred soil types.  That echoes some advice I was given earlier by one of the sensible, bright, well-informed people in the Scottish Government (you know who you are!).  There is a Jamie Ellis paper that describes their preferences and the sandy soil business is the first SHB myth to be debunked on here.  It is soil moisture that helps them complete their life cycle, not sandy soil.  In fact that may be one reason for them being less of an issue in Africa and some other places with habitually drier soil.  Doesn't bode well for us then.

New catchphrase: The beetles know best .....

G.

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## gavin

Steve, yes, the Portugal case involved queens imported from Texas.  

Things I've learned today include information that they are still trying for eradication and have a team of Italian national and EU specialists (from France) on the ground helping the locals.  Also that there is a 100km cordon banning trade in bees as well as the 20km radius search for migratory colonies that could have been in range of the site.  Clearly the authorities have been planning for such an incident and know very well what they need to do, although whether or not they are successful containing this outbreak is yet to be seen.

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## Jon

I was at a couple of talks given by Jamie Ellis a few years ago. I think that is where is saw the beetles begging food from the bees. Tom Seeley was on the bill as well so that was a good day out.
The vast majority of beekeepers would get behind an import ban if it meant we could keep out SHB so we should be lobbying hard for that.

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## gavin

Some chilling words from this commentator on Apitalia, via Google Translate.

http://www.apitalia.net/it/attualita_scheda.php?id=1604

  That of _'small hive_ is, therefore, a new pest of beehives to be added to the many that already exist.   The possibility that this tremendous haunter of the hives can spread to  the national level is very high, especially as there is reason to  suspect that it is already widespread in southern Italy for at least a  year, but its presence has never been reported in the last season.  To confirm this, the sudden surge in purchases of _coumaphos_ in the last year by beekeepers Calabria.   But the problem also concerns that nomadisti from Sicily to Calabria in  the Marche are abandoning the fear of seeing their apiaries destroyed  due to the discovery of _'small hive,_ according to the protocols provided by the Ministry of Health.

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## The Drone Ranger

Haunter of hives.
That could catch on

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## mbc

> Some chilling words from this commentator on Apitalia, via Google Translate.
> 
> http://www.apitalia.net/it/attualita_scheda.php?id=1604
> 
>   That of _'small hive_ is, therefore, a new pest of beehives to be added to the many that already exist.   The possibility that this tremendous haunter of the hives can spread to  the national level is very high, especially as there is reason to  suspect that it is already widespread in southern Italy for at least a  year, but its presence has never been reported in the last season.  To confirm this, the sudden surge in purchases of _coumaphos_ in the last year by beekeepers Calabria.   But the problem also concerns that nomadisti from Sicily to Calabria in  the Marche are abandoning the fear of seeing their apiaries destroyed  due to the discovery of _'small hive,_ according to the protocols provided by the Ministry of Health.


Chilling indeed, we can safely assume the cat is well and truly out of the bag.  
How can these coumaphos purchasing beekeepers look their neighbours in the eye? (or is it a shrewd move on their part making the beetle so widespread there's no point in a destruction policy on their hives?)

re. the preference for sandy soil, its a reference often made by real life beekeepers living with the pest (see a recent post by Mike Palmer on the shb thread on the bkf)( perhaps it should be "bigheaded beekeepers know best"  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): )

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## Jon

If it really has been hidden by the commercial beekeepers for a year it must be widespread in Italy at this point, if not further afield.
Some commercial beekeepers think they are above the law unfortunately.
That documentary where 291 packages were loaded up shows just how easy it would be for the beetle to move from Italy to Scotland or anywhere else in Europe in a single jump. Total madness.

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## mbc

Indeed, but the truth is that we are tightly packed on these islands and totally dependent on imports for all sorts of stuff and so it is politically expedient to keep international trade as cheap, easy and trouble free as possible.  Our border control and licencing procedures are a facade that merely pay lip service to any meaningful idea of bio security and are mostly in place simply to cover peoples* backs when the shit does hit the fan.   
*for "people" read politicians and civil servants, ("we were doing something, we even had a contingency exercise!")

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## prakel

Vita blog, which also relays some of the Apitalia article:

http://www.vita-europe.com/blog/smal...rrives-europe/




> Professor Vincent Palmeri of the University of Reggio Calabria said in a report in Apitalia that he found the beetle in three small swarms near the port of Gioia Taura.

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## gavin

> Haunter of hives.
> That could catch on


Quite.  How about this from the very same page:

_Beekeepers, do not make the ostriches!  Reported the presence of small hive, he goes to the middle of the future of your business and the future of your bees._

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## Rosie

Importers of foreign bees into the Uk have been making the ostriches for years.  The Italians aren't alone.

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## The Drone Ranger

> Quite.  How about this from the very same page:
> 
> _Beekeepers, do not make the ostriches!  Reported the presence of small hive, he goes to the middle of the future of your business and the future of your bees._


Soon as I finish this Skep I'm going to knock together a few ostriches

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## gavin

A bit of background.  Piedmont, from where the 2013 packages came.  Gioia Tauro in Calabria where Small Hive Beetle has just been detected.  Sicily, which has migratory beekeepers that move to the area of Calabria around Gioia Tauro.  In fact more than just from Sicily, but someone gave them special mention.  The map shows queen breeders of ligustica and sicula that are registered with two organisations: Albo Nazionale Allevatori Api Italiane and Associazione Italiana Allevatori Api Regine.

It might be nice now to have an idea of the origins of the 3000 queens that came into the UK in 2014.

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## GRIZZLY

I think it's time to rebuild hadrians wall.

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## busybeephilip

> I think it's time to rebuild hadrians wall.


you never know, that might just happen tomorrow

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## Rosie

The trouble is we can't tell which side of the wall might have the beetles.

I notice there is still no import ban yet but I guess they think there is little point until next spring.  I wonder if it is known where all this year's imports ended up so that a proper survey can be done.

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## gavin

I think that's it.  To much unknown at present.  Is it able to be contained or is it beyond that already?  How far has it spread?  Which areas of Italy are most risky?  Has it been exported already to other EU countries including ourselves (sensu lato!).  I do know that strenuous efforts are being made to trace at least some imports over two years.

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## wee willy

> you never know, that might just happen tomorrow


My bees don't give a cuss either way  :Smile: 
WW 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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## prakel

> I think that's it.  To much unknown at present.


OK, so no one bit initially. Any thoughts on the quote from the vita blog re the beetle being found in three small swarms? Is it a generalized comment, a translation thing or an accurate representation of the truth?

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## busybeephilip

Three small swarms or "casts"  that took residence in bait sentinel hives, this implies that there is a parent hive perhaps undiscovered located inland ?  An inland location suggests that it has been around for some time.  Simple fact is we won't know until the Italian authorities determine the extent (and source) of any infestation.  Bit like trying a taste of epidemiology to track down Ebola, horses and stable doors and that.

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## gavin

The Vita article seems to have taken its information from the same Apitalia page that we've been discussing here most recently, the one with the chilling words and the ostriches.

Prof Palmeri:
_I  must say that we were not just looking for the small hive beetle, but  we had three swarms located near the port of Gioia Tauro._ _During an inspection I found what I immediately recognized to be harmful beetle._

The original Italian:
_..... ma avevamo tre sciami posizionati nei pressi del porto di Gioia Tauro ..._ 

'We had positioned/located' sounds like they were placed there deliberately rather than arrived under their own wing power.

They were initially called bait swarms, but now it is clear they were not there for the purpose of monitoring for beetles.

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## gavin

In fact I think Vita misunderstood the Apitalia page:_

He does not discount the possibility that SHB may already be widespread  spread in southern Italy and that beekeepers may be fearful in  reporting it._

I thought those were comments from the author of that page rather than Prof Palmeri.

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## Rosie

I thought that to Gavin.  The Prof's comments were all it italics.  Does the author speak with any type of authority?

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## gavin

Don't know who the author is, I'm afraid.  The site has anonymous editors (plural) and is run by the company Melitense in Rome.

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## Jon

Another article from the Italian site.

http://www.apitalia.net/it/attualita_scheda.php?id=1606

We receive from our correspondent Pugliese, Francesco Colafemmina, these considerations on the possible presence of small hive beetle in Italy. We publish because we believe it is essential to alert beekeepers and researchers because they do all the considerations of the case. Hopefully this is just a bad dream and we can awaken knowing that it was a dream

The small hive beetle scares Italy and Europe even more. In any case, we should not panic. It should be noted that the small hive is currently widespread in many scenarios bee of the globe from the USA to Canada, from Australia to the Hawaiian Islands. And it seems to me that in Australia - for example - the beekeepers have closed shop after its appearance. Clearly, much depends on the nature of the soil, the weather conditions and the state of health of the bees.

The arrival in Europe arises, however, new risks data essentially by two factors: the very broad number of beekeepers in Europe - often small or very small and slow bureaucratic machine that is likely to intervene in games already made​​.

After the discovery of the first case of small hive in 3 nuclei of Professor Palmeri, University of Reggio, in an area - places Sovereto - practically close to the container terminal at the port of Gioia Tauro, 8 specimens of small hive were found in a second apiary in the area, thanks to the hard work of Professor Franco Mutinelli dell'IZSV and the European team currently present in Calabria. The point is that at present the apiary, located in the municipality of Rosario and consists of 44 hives (4 was present in the small hive) has not yet been destroyed, it is easy to understand why. The controls are proceeding without respite, but as discussed with some vets of beekeeping and bee diseases present actions to be taken may be the following:

a.
Evaluate the possibility of readmitting the use of coumaphos under veterinary supervision. If a spring, in fact, there will be new cases of small hive is unthinkable to intervene destroying hives here and there along the peninsula, especially if infestations break out in hives of nomadisti gone from the area of ​​the first introduction of the parasite. And it is inconceivable to think of halting the development of the larvae with simple traps. It should, therefore, intervene as of now riammettendo the use of the only active ingredient effective in the fight all'Aethina, despite all the exceptions and precautions.

b.
Lock in a timely shipment of queens, nuclei and whatnot from Calabria to the rest of Italy.

c.Dotare all beekeepers and Calabria regions bearing (Sicily, Puglia and Basilicata) monitoring systems / traps for small hive free. A trap for sale in the USA, it costs only 50 cents. Inside you can have streaks of coumaphos in the event that it is established infestation.

d.
Make checks carpet in all the companies that have made ​​nomadism in Calabria in 2014 and also provide monitoring systems.

and.
Since then the policy - and Calabrese in a special way - it's always generous with funding and donations, the Calabria region should immediately allocate the funds to repay all beekeepers who will suffer destruction of entire hives or apiaries. And 'the only way to stimulate the cases of nankeen to come out.

Meanwhile, some brief remarks on the methods of tackling this heinous beetle. In these days we contacted the Food and Environment Research Agency in the UK. It is a government agency that for years has been committed to the prevention of an infestation of small hive. Overflight for a moment on the fact that - again for years - the agency has developed a network of "bait hives" spread throughout the UK, identifying even the probable access points dell'Aethina. In Italy, none of this: even the hives Professor Palmeri were not - as the press continues to highlight - hives "bait", but experimental nuclei randomly positioned in the vicinity of the port.

The Agency has issued an interesting British sull'Aethina handbook, which is available in English. I recommend everyone to browse. It 'amazing, I know, but you need to know what to expect. And do not be afraid to report cases of presence dell'Aethina.

A possible good news always comes to us by the agency in Britain. The team of Dr. Andrew Cuthbertson has, in fact, tested in the laboratory in recent years the use of nematodes to combat the larvae of small hive that lurk in the soil around the apiaries. The results are extremely promising. This does not mean, however, that within the hives at the moment the only solution is represented by the use of coumaphos and where unauthorized - for example in Australia - the use of various types of traps.

The traps, placed usually in the upper part of the beehive or between the combs, have the purpose of facilitating the bees in their action of contrast of adults of small hive. Work only if you have strong families. The weak families are inevitably destined to perish, especially in the summer when you reach 30 degrees and the small hive multiplies at a rapid pace, feeding on larvae of bees and honey that is simultaneously ferment. The operating window for those who are monitoring the hives is therefore very short. By the winter of adult small hive in fact, may be present in the hives Calabria, enter the glomere imitating mingling with the smell of the bees and will be impossible to detect.

Regardless of the possible spread of small hive we can already say with certainty that this event is a disaster for beekeepers Italian. And 'in fact almost certain that in 2015 the foreign market will not purchase more packages of bees or queens from Italy. Many companies are therefore in great difficulty. For this reason it is necessary that immediately beekeeping associations and federations to mobilize because the Ministry of Agriculture in agreement with that of Health can identify from now on funds to be made available in the industry and the search for new effective methods of contrast dell'Aethina tumida.

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## prakel

> Another article from the Italian site.........


That report should raise a few alarm bells.

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## busybeephilip

Am I reading this correctly - hive beetle is in an apairy of 44 hives of which none are going to be destroyed.  There seems to be an attitude of We've got it - thats life, I'm all right Jack.

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## prakel

> Am I reading this correctly - hive beetle is in an apairy of 44 hives of which none are going to be destroyed.  There seems to be an attitude of We've got it - thats life, I'm all right Jack.


Also seems to reiterate that it was initially found in three different swarms. Surely someone with the right contacts can get English copies of the official statements which are being released by the authority dealing with the case(s) in question. There shouldn't be any need to rely on magazine/internet articles to get information on what is an issue of such great importance and to then be left wondering whether it's right or not.

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## busybeephilip

this seems to be an "offical " site  http://www.federapi.biz/

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## Adam

I am reading this thread with considerable concern. I can't see that monitoring the SHB once it's arrived is what's required. (And there were no sentinel apiaries in the country?!) Elimination and treatment of the ground around the hives is a must, plus investigating every colony - managed and feral. It's a massive job and something that perhaps should be considered a Europe-wide problem with help from all countries and central EU funding. If beekeepers don't want to inform the authorities of the presence of SHB because they will lose their colonies as a result due to destruction without compensation, then we're all doomed as Frazier used to say in Dad's Army.

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## Adam

Found this on the federapi site:-

_"Twelve days after reporting the first outbreak of small hive beetle (discovered September 5, 2014), the small beetle that does great damage to bees was today (17 September 2014) identified in a second outbreak. The Commission of Experts (doctors of the local Veterinary Public Health, two representatives of the National Reference Centre and the European Apiculture, local beekeepers who are actively collaborating with the authorities involved in the work on monitoring hives present within a radius of 20 km from the first discovery) have found eight copies of adult small hive beetle in an apiary always present in the area surrounding the port of Gioia Tauro (RC) and in the vicinity of the "nuclei bait" that experts from the local university said they had placed in advance. The work of capillary detection of other possible outbreaks has been in existence since the day when the news was officially issued by the Ministry of Health (12 September 2014) and the deployment of forces on the ground appears to be insufficient given the time needed for a meticulous inspection activity in each of the apiaries which are located in the epicenter of the area almost certainly haunted. Relevant health authorities at local, regional, national and EU have already been informed. There is enough to consider the situation more serious than expected, start the procedure for the district of outbreaks and issue the orders for the destruction of hives, treatment disinfestante of the surrounding land, seizure of honey and block any movement into or exit from 'area. "Once again, beekeepers will pay the highest price? - Asks Francesco Artese, professional beekeeper and president of FAI Calabria - since we are experiencing economic harm caused by unknown, we also hope unsuspecting carriers of this disease of bees? ". The inspectors, meanwhile, continue to beat the territory of Gioia Tauro and in any case are asking local beekeepers to use special traps to catch adult beetles of small hive beetle may be present in the hives"_.

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## busybeephilip

The whole thing seems to be a bit of a shambles.  Maybe we should speculate on the rate of spread so that we so that we can follow it through europe

I can see a paper coming together  "Epidemiology of the small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida in Italy into Europe"

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## Jon

It could move 1000 miles in one jump.
There is no need to import any bees into the British isles so we should pull up the drawbridge now.
People might start to value local bees a bit more as well.

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## mazza

Sorry - I haven't worked out how to properly quote passages from previous posts yet!

_The point is that at present the apiary, located in the municipality of Rosario and consists of 44 hives (4 was present in the small hive) has not yet been destroyed, it is easy to understand why_

Can I just remind everyone to be wary when using the google translate function to translate large documents such as this. I am reasonably fluent in Italian and would like to point out a couple of conspicuous errors in the text quoted above. The original Italian document states that the eight beetles newly identified were found in four different hives (not four beetles in one small hive); and, more importantly, that "it is NOT easy to understand" why destruction of these affected hives hasn't taken place.

I'm sure you're all aware of the limitations surrounding Google translate, but I will try to keep up with what's being posted and clarify any misunderstandings in interpretation. Also can people remember that in some cases these reports are written by journalists and non-experts, and some of the statements which are not direct quotes may need to be taken with a pinch af salt. I have yet to see an official report which states that the newly discovered hives will not be destroyed... 
It says in this announcement (below) that these beetles were only confirmed today (the 19th) by the National Reference Laboratory, and the infestation level within the whole apairy is to be verified today using the traps which have been placed in all the hives. Nothing about whether they'd ultimately be destroyed or not.

http://www.sivempveneto.it/leggi-tut...-del-ministero

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## busybeephilip

Hang on a sec - discovered 5th September,  officially confirmed on the 19th.  Clearly, the Italians don't believe in rushing about to much.

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## mazza

> Hang on a sec - discovered 5th September,  officially confirmed on the 19th.  Clearly, the Italians don't believe in rushing about to much.


No, the ones found on the 5th were confirmed a while ago; the ones confirmed today were detected on the 17th and found in an apiary 1 km from the original site.

The 'original' beetles have just been examined and confirmed morphologically by the EU reference laboratory, but this had already happened at Italian national reference laboratory level.

Hope this clarifies  :Smile:

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## prakel

> I will try to keep up with what's being posted and clarify any misunderstandings in interpretation


I think that's exactly what we need at present. Thanks.

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## Jon

This is also interesting

Lists secondary outbreaks

http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wa...reportid=16079

Mazza. Thanks for the input. I am fluent in Spanish which means I get a decent gist reading Italian but Google translate is very limited.

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## gavin

Thanks Jon and Mazza.  There seems to be no doubt that it has spread in the region, which means that the whole of Italy is a risk (which means could have it too).  

Jon - you'll be pleased to learn that the official beetle traps are made of correx!  I have mine already .... you never know, I might be first to pick up stray SHBs from the massive, crazy importations from the north if the beetle has been spreading in Italy for long enough.  Trouble is, folk would be calling for the immediate destruction of my bees even though it would be clear they'd just been secondarily infected from a spreading epidemic.

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## Rosie

I see the Italian beekeepers are calling for compensation.  It's time we were compensated here, the same way as farmers are when they are hit by foot and mouth.

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## Jon

A import ban is the only compensation I would look for and fingers crosses the British Isles are still free.

If correx is the answer no beetle has a chance in my apiary.

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## gavin

Hobby beekeepers often pay for their own insurance via BDI in England and Wales or via SBA membership in Scotland.  It is not common amongst bee farmers to carry insurance.  Perhaps proper insurance should be compulsory (and that would also force BDI and SBA to ensure that their insurance and compensation schemes were up to scratch).  Then there is no excuse for hiding notifiable disease.  Also a stronger push to prosecute miscreants would help.  BFA members and representatives: are you up for that?!

At least some of the funds for Italian packages came from governmental compensation for weather-related losses.  Be careful what you wish for!

I think you'll either have to keep freezing your correx on a regular basis or impregnate it with coumaphos otherwise it will just become a SHB breeding ground!

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## Rosie

I wonder if it would help if we all kept our hives in chicken runs.  I'll get me coat!

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## Adam

Jon, you share a border of course where different rules may apply. What's the situation south of the border with regard to imports?

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## Jon

NIHBS has drafted a request for an import ban and that will go to the relevant authorities north and south of the border.

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## The Drone Ranger

dear God are the farmers getting foot and mouth as well  :Smile:

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## Rosie

> dear God are the farmers getting foot and mouth as well


No but they are pretty good at reporting it when their stock go down with it.  Can't imagine why.

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## gavin

As far as I recall the farmers reporting foot and mouth were devasted, completely flattened poor souls facing the loss of everything they'd been building.  They reported it because they knew they had to.  However as far as SHB goes, yes, a proper, full, well-funded compensation scheme in advance of a known outbreak is helpful.  The trouble is, for government, if they were the ones to fund this, that would be signing a blank cheque. How far should it go?  Better that beekeeping organisations, including the Bee Farmers, get their act together and ensure they have their own schemes working.

OK, back to SHB.  They do indeed have no shame.

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## Rosie

I am surrounded by farmers and are they are all salt of the earth types but there are dangers that follow from over-compensating some of them for stock that was not worth the value of the compensation.  I agree though that the vast majority of them took the last serious foot and mouth outbreak very badly, especially the ones that had nurtured pure herds.

Regarding beekeepers it was suggested in one of the Italian posts that beekeepers probably knew about their SHB infestations and had kept quiet because of lack of compensation.  If that were the case then we are facing a serious threat that might have been averted had there been some compensation scheme in operation.  Good beekeepers, like good farmers, would hopefully report problems regardless but I am more concerned about the others.

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## Jon

There will always be people who put profit before ethics.

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## gavin

Here are Small Hive Beetle traps going into a sentinel apiary in the heart of bee importation country.  OK the phone has accumulated a lot of fluff during its time in my pocket but you get the drift.  This Correx is black as the wee critters like a dark place to hide, and from where to cheekily solicit food from their hosts.  When they've had their spell in place the correx is slid out, placed into a poly bag, and thwacked against a hard surface to dislodge any creatures within the corrugations.

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## busybeephilip

Yet another use for correx.  Hope you don't find any, Jon we dont have any black election posters !

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## gavin

That's two colonies at the association apiary also now with black correx inserts.  Here's hoping for a big crop of earwigs.

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## gavin

Today's bulletin at Apitalia talks of a third infested apiary, and adds a personal touch by speaking to two local beekeepers (including a queen breeder) who are facing big trouble for their businesses.  These guys seem to be assuming that the outbreak is recent, and the story of a surge of sales of coumaphos is refuted by a beekeeping supplies company.

Plenty of interesting translations for those who enjoy such things: downloading hives (if only!), chickens out their cages, and beekeeping as the spare tyre industry :-)

Original Italian here for anyone who knows the language, and the usual rough translation courtesy of Google:

http://www.apitalia.net/it/attualita_scheda.php?id=1609

Speaking of small hive 
  [ Back to index ]



   Receive and publish the service of our correspondent Pugliese,  Francesco Colafemmina, because as he says in the article beekeepers have  few information about small hive.   And then, if there will be a financial loss we will fight because the  people involved, beekeepers, receive the right support from the  scientific institutions and the right monetary financing to meet the  emergency.  Beekeeping, the whole can not be left alone 

  Speaking of small hive 

  The small hive beetle is now the third confirmed outbreak tell us the national beekeeping associations.  There Apitalia, then, through which we seek to provide information to beekeepers.  And the institutional sources? 

  These days, unfortunately, there is no time to lose, but apparently the situation on the ground is not so rosy.   And 'this fact, the opinion of the owner of an important company in the  province of Vibo bees, a few tens of kilometers from the port of Gioia  Tauro, Nicola Ferraro, breeder queens. 

  Ferraro does not hide his anxiety mixed with resignation to what is happening at this time.   "There are those who already is quick to accuse us of breeders queens,  arguing that the larvae would come through the candy, but we do not buy  queens from countries where there is the small hive."   And indeed it is difficult to think that the small hive may have  developed without any damage within farms rearing queens, often with  mininuclei not always to the best of their energies and therefore  succulent prey of the terrible beetle. 
  "I believe - adds Ferraro - that we do not tell the story as it is.  I would like to understand the responsibilities of Professor Palmeri.   I would like to understand how it was possible to develop the small  hive inside nuclei left the harbor for months without controls. " 

   Indeed Palmeri had told Apitalia that those three nuclei "devastated"  were not "bait" and had not been seen for at least an entire month  (August).   Given that the timing of development of the larvae of small hive is  also driven by the temperature the possibility that a female beetle  escaped from a container near the port may have been attracted by the  smell of those 3 cores weak and that there is no contrast is preserved  by bees and humans is quite high (a full cycle of small hive varies from  4 to 6 weeks).   How high is the possibility that some beetles escaped the destruction  of the 3 nuclei, in the absence of new nuclei "bait", have spread in the  area looking for new nests of bees. 

  "Of course, the problem breaks out now that the chickens have already escaped from their cages."   According to Ferraro, in fact, "there are many nomadisti Sicilian and  Emilian that frequent the area of ​​the plain of Gioia Tauro" and "if  one of these was by chance visited by some specimens of the beetle  riprodottosi successfully in the three initial nuclei now as it is finds  out? '. 

   The breeder then the finger tip of Calabria on the controls, "I asked  my local health authorities if by chance they will come to check my  company.  I do not know how to recognize or find this insect in case he managed to get here.  They said that for now they do not know, maybe, well, we'll see ... ".  Not to mention the issue of compensation: "I have already called from Sweden, one of my big client, to ask what is happening.  It 'obvious that if we go on like this we will not sell more queens at least in the next year.  And no one expects compensation.  What will they do?  We leave you to die? " 

   The same opinion Michele Taverniti, another well-known farmer near the  area where the \ 'small hive has been spotted for the first time: "You  provide compensation for all other agricultural sectors, but beekeeping  is the spare tire industry ... has no weight. "  We ask him what he thinks of the question, and his answer is that "we are in chaos.  Each year, these parts trucks loaded with hives.  Downloading in one night and then restart after a few weeks.  This year I have downloaded at least 300 hives a few tens of meters from my apiary.  I reported the matter to the ASL and Forestry.  Both they told me to be short staffed and can not come to carry out checks on nomadista abusive. "  It 'clear that today, with the emergence small hive implement these nomadisti you can not find them more.   But there is hope that the small hive if it is preserved only in the  three nuclei close to the harbor, many nomadisti they're gone long  before the beetle had time to get in their hives. 

   For Taverniti then the problem is also that of information: "I'm going  every night glued to the pc to look on the internet about this bug.  Is it possible that the information should find me alone?  No one has even told us how to recognize it, to track him down, this beetle?  What are the pitfalls?  How do you bring?  What effect do they have? '.   Ferraro also takes issue with the associations: "I called the president  of the regional FAI but after the announcement of the news of the  discovery we had no other information.  The clock is ticking and we would not find ourselves in trouble in the next season. " 

  What is needed, in short, better information and coordination.  "We beekeepers Calabria - adds Taverniti - we are the most damaged.  We live in our work, we live our farms, our honey.  And we can not move from here.  Anyone who thinks that in reality \ 's small hive has already been developed in the last season does not know what he says.  Considering how little we know ourselves that we are professionals, we have already had businesses destroyed by this insect.  And who says that in the Calabria beekeepers have used the spear coumaphos unfounded accusations. " 

   We have also contacted Gianni Apitalia Savorelli to ask if there were  any requests in the last season of "stock funds" of coumaphos.   Savorelli refuted this hypothesis, adding that coumaphos is forbidden  to buy it and should use the right products for veterinary use (for dogs  for example), which often require a prescription. 

   "We are adrift," this is the desperate cry of beekeepers Calabrian  nearest to the area where it was discovered the first outbreak of small  hive.   The institutions latitano not to be expected compensation, orders will  drop dramatically within the next year, companies will be brought on the  pavement with the prohibition on the movement of bees.   Everything is sacred if you want to eradicate the problem, but the  suspicion is that in Italy is not only a lack of planning prior to stem  the arrival dell'Aethina, but at this time lacks a plan to contain or  eradicate the infestation.  Information is lacking, lacking the protection of a strategic sector for agriculture.  Everything is entrusted to the free initiative of bee-keepers, veterinarians, associations and magazines like ours.  We really hope that this emergency has already assumed the dimensions uncontrollable.  In any case, we at Apitalia we will always be in the forefront of the defense of beekeepers and beekeeping entire supply chain.   So in the coming days we will offer timely information on both the  evolution of the emergency is dell'Aethina contrast agents currently  used in the rest of the world.



  (By Francesco Colafemmina - 09/22/2014)

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## busybeephilip

Even more of a mess now - hard to believe what is going on

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## Adam

> , and thwacked against a hard surface to dislodge any creatures within the corrugations.


The harder the better!

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## fatshark

I know that Jon has cornered the market in Correx but I was looking at actually *buying* some for a range of things ... I checked eBay prices for black Correx and - out of interest - the price of the SHB traps from Thorne's. There's a killing to be made here! I'm assuming the traps are 4mm thick. 

The floors I use have Dartington-type entrances (also termed Kewl floors I think) so it's not possible to simply slot the SHB traps directly through the front entrance. I'm going to have to think about how to locate them (back of the dummy board perhaps??) if there are any more Italian packages dropped off in and around the Midlands next year.

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## gavin

Have a trip up here and save yourself a fortune on correx.  There is plenty left-over blue stuff often with a 'Yes' on it (small and medium sized) and also some purple stuff with a 'No' on it, gigantic big sheets for the gigantic big estates that like to say 'No'.

I would think that the back of a dummy board would be a good place to site a trap. Although maybe they like to be closer to the bees so that they can solicit from their hosts?

Today's edition from Apitalia.  They spoke to Jamie Ellis and he is reassuring on climate and SHB multiplication.  Look out for a rapid about-turn on fipronil by European beekeepers.

http://www.apitalia.net/it/attualita_scheda.php?id=1613

Focus sull'Aethina 
  [ Back to index ]



 *A  useful study, our envoy, Francesco Colafemmina, has found and  interviewed a professor, James Ellis, one of the world's leading experts  and the small hive has heard Apitalia* 



   Professor James Ellis, Professor of Entomology and Nematology  University of Florida is considered a right, despite his young age, one  of the world's leading experts dell'Aethina tumida, known in English by  the initials of SHB _(Small Hive Beetle, a small hive beetle)._   Ph.D. degree from Rhodes University in South Africa with studies on its  all'Aethina that has spread from there, then, in the rest of the world.  Up to land in Italy. 
   The pleasant conversation with Professor Ellis, who, however, has  provided us with some of his more recent studies, there has calmed quite  a bit.  "The little beetle is here considered a minor pest of bees, like the wax moth."   So begins Ellis adds: "Since arriving here in Florida in 1996 in this  state maintains the highest population of all the United States.  Sure, at first it was a big problem for local beekeepers, especially when coupled with the varroa mite, pesticide use, etc.. "  In time, however, became a _"minor pest"._ 

_Professor Ellis, he heard of the arrival of SHB in Italy, what do you think needs to be done to eradicate the infestation?_ 
  I think it is a useful attempt, but at the same time let me say that it might just be wasted effort.   The SHB moves in the air covering long distances, pupate in the soil  even at a distance of 4-10 meters from the hive and can creep in swarms  or feral swarms of bumblebees.  If you really had the chance to reproduce in three nuclei then destroyed by now will be difficult to halt the advance.  It would take several vets in action at the same time, along with beekeepers that monitor each other.   In any case it can not hurt and, yes, I think it is useful to provide  compensation to beekeepers whose hives are destroyed as part of the  eradication program. 

_In the States were expected reimbursements similar?_ 
  Not at all, because here since the first time no attempt was made to eradicate the infestation.   Beekeeper has lost some of the hives, but right now we intervened with  the traps and techniques of management of apiaries times to keep the  population under control dell'Aethina, which is now considered as  equivalent to the wax moth ... If I tell you more, I almost stopped  doing research on the SHB since he became a secondary problem of bees. 

_Come on in Europe at the time._ _The blazing will open a new career!_ _Joking aside, what they can do Italian beekeepers to control the small hive beetle?_ 
  Use the traps.  There are several on the market.   The most effective is the one called "beetle blaster" (picture in these  two pages), it is a small tray that is placed on the top between two  honeycombs and filled with apple vinegar or wine vinegar.   The trap uses the behavior of bees, which tend to relegate - provided  that the family is in good health - the adult specimens of small hive in  the "prisons" propolizzate the outer margins of the upper honeycomb.   For this reason it is good to place these traps between the first and  second comb or between the ninth and tenth (taking as an example a hive  of 10 and assuming that the frames are all covered with bees).   With this system you can capture more than 50% of adult individuals,  allowing the bees to clean up any cells in which the females are trying  to reproduce.   Another extreme solution when you want to check the possible presence  of the beetle, is to shake all the honeycombs on a wooden board and  remove one by one the pieces. 

_And the coumaphos?_ 
  I do not think an effective product.  From studies carried out show that the strips of coumaphos fail to eliminate more or less 40% of adults.   This is because they will damage the bees strips are placed inside  plastic-coated cartons placed on the bottom of the hive, but not always  the small hive ends there.  They are much more attracted by vinegar or apple by vinegar of wine.  Now, in Australia we use a chemical based on fipronil, _the apithor_ which proved to be extremely effective in the fight all'aethina ... 

_The interrupt: Fipronil is banned in Europe (even if it is used in the popular Frontline flea and tick product for dogs)!_ 
  So I do not know what to say ... Of course, Fipronil works better than any other chemical. 

_And regarding the use of pheromones or biological warfare?_ 
  Pheromones have been studied by a group of researchers extensively but without significant results.  So much so that we moved out of a yeast that the beetle carries on his body and that mimics the alarm pheromone of bees.   This yeast is also due to the fermentation of honey eaten by the larvae  can be used as an attractor of SHB, but the results do not differ much  from the attractiveness of apple vinegar or wine. 
   There is a mushroom that seems to give promising results in the  destruction of the larvae, as well as some types of nematodes that are  common in the soil and lead to the rapid destruction of the larvae that  emerge from the hive to pupate. 

_When to use the traps?_ 
  Here we put the traps from March until September.  Normally occurs in the presence dell'Aethina a few weeks. 

_From  what you say it does seem that the small hive beetle does not meet the  fears and emotional reactions of Italian and European beekeepers in the  past few hours ..._ 
  Sure.   I understand the difficulties of the companies that sell packages and  queens, but unfortunately when you develop these problems always tends  to restrict the movement of bees.  It serves, however, apply in a careful and meticulous practice of good management of the hives.   What I suggest here to beekeepers small size (200-500 colonies) is to  manage everything that is manageable: Varroa, American foulbrood,  cleaning.   You have to have colonies in force, restrict the space so that the bees  can easily oversee all honeycombs, keeping the strong mininuclei (among  the preferred prey dall'Aethina), set traps, especially in the period  of maximum reproduction that is more or less June. 
   We must, then, do not leave pieces of honeycomb nell'apiario and keep  clean laboratories, where larvae of small hive present in honey can  easily create damage.  That said, the SHB is still a minor problem compared to the varroa or pesticides.  It should be handled only in a conscious way. 

_What about small hive and then the interaction between soil and climatic conditions?_ 
   If I can be frank I think that the small hive will remain a minor pest  in Europe because the climate is not appropriate to its development.   To grow it needs high temperatures and high humidity: conditions that  are found in the southeastern United States and in Australia as well as  in his home country.   Certainly, areas of irrigated citrus groves in Calabria as those areas  are very similar to Florida and represents fertile ground for the  development of the beetle.  Wet soils: these are the places preferred by the beetle.   So, except for some areas of southern Italy, I find it very difficult  for the small hive can survive the harsh winters of the north and find  the ideal conditions to grow enough to cause serious problems for  beekeepers. 

_Professor,  what to say, thank you for your clarification that we are nothing more  than useful tools to cope with a new emergency and at the same time a  comfort in this time of confusion._ 
  Happy to assist you and good luck to beekeepers Italian!



  (By Francesco Colafemmina - 23/09/2014)

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## Trog

Not much left-over Correx here on Mull and what there is is too high up the lamp-posts for a small Trog to reach.  Can you post us some, Gavin?  Very light!  Or bring a bulk batch to give out at Council!

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## busybeephilip

Jon's probably got it all  :Smile:

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## Jon

Got about 50 sheets with a green party candidate on them recently.
That's an improvement. I have a lid with Edwin Poots inside.

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## busybeephilip

> I have a lid with Edwin Poots inside.


Ha.......I just have to ask - is the hive healthy.... or maybe underfunded

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## Jon

He was superseded yesterday. (By Jim Wells, a guy who I know from animal rights protests.)

According to Poots the earth was created in 4004 BC ( in October) so bees are a relatively young species just like all the other species on earth.

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## fatshark

> Got about 50 sheets with a green party candidate on them recently.


Correx isn't what I'd consider as entirely environmentally friendly  still, 50 sheets, who cares?  :Wink:

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## Jon

The age old contradictions of the green movement. Slaves to correx just like the mainstream parties.

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## fatshark

> Slaves to correx just like *beekeepers*.


Amended

 :Embarrassment:

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## gavin

Mentioned today at the BIBBA/SICAMM conference here in Wales by someone linked to a knowledgeable source: 'up to 50% of hives being looked (in the area of concern in Italy) at have SHB'.  Also they repeated concerns about bee movements between S and N Italy. 

Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

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## busybeephilip

Hard to believe given the numbers of hives that none has noticed til now -  What does 50% represent?

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## mazza

Below is a link to the latest official report on the SHB outbreak in Italy (found on the EU reference laboratory website) I think the 50% quote relates to the number of hives being inspected, not the number found positive...

https://sites.anses.fr/en/minisite/a...uthern-italy-0

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## chris

> I think the 50% quote relates to the number of hives being inspected, not the number found positive...


From my understanding, 5 apiaries were visited near to where the 5th sept. beetles were found. In each of these 5 apiaries, between 20% and 50% of the hives were inspected and traps were placed. In one of the apiaries, 2 km from the first, 7 adult beetles were collected. The next day, the remaining 41 colonies of this apiary were inspected. In 12 of the hives a further 18 adults were found.No larvae were found. The apiary was to be destroyed.

Gavin was aware of this information, so he probably ha a more recent source

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## gavin

Thanks Mazza.  

OK, something else (thanks Chris) which shows the location of the two confirmed positive apiaries.  They do seem rather far apart and neither is particularly close to the port from where everyone would like to think this started (in which case stamping it out might still be possible).  But it does seem to have dispersed quite far ... (nah, I was looking at the scale on the other map ... a couple of km only)





From: http://www.plateforme-esa.fr/index.p...ida&Itemid=328

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## chris

On the first map the pink area represents the zone where a programmed inspection of ALL apiaries should be taking place.(Decided after the 5th sept. discovery).
On the 2nd map, the blue area represents where further inspections will be carried out, based on risk factor and random choice to start with.(Decided after the 17th sept. discovery).

There seems to be more concern about the movement of non sedentary hives rather than nuc and queen selling.

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## Neils

Got to say that given their keenness to publish any old tosh about bees as environmental news that the Guardian and the BBC in particular have impressed me with their coverage of an actual, honest to god, story of relevance to 'Issues faced by honey bees'.

The level of in depth, yet balanced, coverage of just what the discovery of SHB could mean for european beekeeping has taken me by surprise, especially the well researched and presented analysis from Monbiot in the Guardian.

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## gavin

Just to be clear ... all I can be sure about is what has been officially reported above. The comment on 50% doesn't fit with the official record and did sound at the time like something new. However I haven't been able to discuss this with the source, so treat it sceptically for now. I guess those of us listening were hoping to hear some significant progress from those inspections in that 20km circle in the last couple of weeks and thought this was it. Maybe not.  

Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

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## busybeephilip

If you look on google maps that whole area is covered with citrus fruit trees, (oranges).   If bees were brought in for pollination and that is a likely  source or means to transfer any existing beetles then there is an even bigger distribution of beetles that is as yet unreported.

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## Bumble

> The level of in depth, yet balanced, coverage of just what the discovery of SHB could mean for European beekeeping has taken me by surprise, especially the well researched and presented analysis from Monbiot in the Guardian.


I thought much the same, their silence is deafening.

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## gavin

Ah, that *was* sarcasm from Neil, then.

I'm totally bemused as to why the BBKA should want to downplay the risks of importing bees in comparison to other possible routes of entry into the UK.  Surely the number one, way and above anything else, risk is that someone will bring bees into the UK (packages, queens with attendents) carrying this pest - so this is the first and by far the most important thing to focus on?  Those 1767 recorded queens from Italy (the page has been updated since I last used data from there) and 1200 packages in 2014.

Specifically, is the BBKA really wanting to say this:
_
'However, we expressed the strong view that movements of bees carried a  far lower risk than that of the shipment of fruit, vegetables and other  plant materials ...._ '

Eh??!!  Does that make even the slightest bit of sense to anyone reading this?  Is there any evidence for fruit, vegetables etc being a higher risk than live bees?  By all means consider and do something about the risk from the transport of fruit and suchlike, but for heavens sake, the movement of bees has to be the number one, top of the list, dramatic, serious, immediate risk, doesn't it?  The risk requiring immediate and strong action?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.bbka.org.uk/news_and_even...eetle_in_italy

To BBKA Members: 

25 September 2014
FURTHER STATEMENT RE SMALL HIVE BEETLE IN ITALY

BBKA representatives attended the meeting of the Bee Health Advisory Forum held at Defras offices on Millbank, on 23 September 2014.
At our request, the discovery of Small Hive Beetle (SHB) in South West Italy was a priority item on the agenda. We learned that the Italian authorities have established a 100km exclusion zone around the apiary where SHB was first found.  No exports of bees will be permitted from within this area. However, we expressed the strong view that movements of bees carried a far lower risk than that of the shipment of fruit, vegetables and other plant materials from this area and which are more likely to spread SHB.

The BBKA and other stakeholders at the meeting pressed Defra hard to take steps to avert this major risk via shipments of produce.  We are unhappy with an approach which is dependent principally on the actions of the local authorities or on containment measures once SHB is found in the UK.  We have insisted that Defra keeps us fully informed of developments and the measures put into effect to combat this threat with all vigour.  We will share this information with members as and when received.

Dr David Aston
Chair, BBKA Technical and Environmental Committee

----------


## brecks

> Ah, that *was* sarcasm from Neil, then.
> 
> I'm totally bemused as to why the BBKA should want to downplay the risks of importing bees in comparison to other possible routes of entry into the UK.  Surely the number one, way and above anything else, risk is that someone will bring bees into the UK (packages, queens with attendents) carrying this pest - so this is the first and by far the most important thing to focus on?  Those 1767 recorded queens from Italy (the page has been updated since I last used data from there) and 1200 packages in 2014.
> 
> Specifically, is the BBKA really wanting to say this:
> _
> 'However, we expressed the strong view that movements of bees carried a  far lower risk than that of the shipment of fruit, vegetables and other  plant materials ...._ '
> 
> Eh??!!  Does that make even the slightest bit of sense to anyone reading this?  Is there any evidence for fruit, vegetables etc being a higher risk than live bees?  By all means consider and do something about the risk from the transport of fruit and suchlike, but for heavens sake, the movement of bees has to be the number one, top of the list, dramatic, serious, immediate risk, doesn't it?  The risk requiring immediate and strong action?
> ...


Traditional British incompetence at it's best.

----------


## fatshark

The only way that statement (fruit _etc_. being a more likely route by which SHB will spread) makes any sense is if there is an assumption that the 100 km "no export" exclusion zone is *totally effective* in stopping otherwise legal transport of bees/queens  and that there is no SHB outside that zone already. That being the case fruit and veg might be a more likely route of transmission. I think these assumptions are naive. I would prefer a ban on all imports.

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## Duncan

Of what? Fruit?

----------


## gavin

> Of what? Fruit?


All live bee imports, now, until there is clarity on what is really out there.  We've been importing fruit from risky places for years, and if SHB has ever come in and established that way, it would be only have been in the S Italian incident.  And we don't even know that is the explanation.  

Live bees will transmit it in the twinkling of an eye, if it is outside the exclusion area.  That is why we have banned live bee imports from just about everywhere other than NZ.  Now we have to act within the EU too.  If the BBKA are actually arguing against that, then they are failing massively in their duty as the main UK organisation with responsibility for territory covering the ports that allow the great majority of bees into the UK.

Yes, we should also be concerned about non-bee routes into the UK, but to argue against a focus on live bee imports is folly in my humble opinion.

If anyone reading this can justify the BBKA's position, please do tell us.  I may be able to collar some of them today inbetween talks at the BIBBA meeting.

----------


## Duncan

The plan of action has been thought out years ago.  No exports from the 100km radius zone around detections.  If there was an issue with this rule, then anyone in disagreement should have presented their case previously and not try to change the rules once there is a problem.

Why should imports of queen bees be banned from non-infected areas/countries?  There is no reason to.  Unless of course the detection of SHB in Italy fits in very comfortably with your own personal general agenda of anti-imports.

----------


## gavin

Most bee pestilences have moved ahead of detection by a year or three. Any person keen on not further degrading the health of bees in the UK (that's my agenda) has to take that into account. How confident are you that SHB detection (so far) equals distribution? 



Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

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## Duncan

Detection is only as good as the examining authority and the inspectors.   

If you are really interested in the health of bees in the UK, why have you not questioned the movement of Galtee strain queen bees into the UK without the necessary health certificates?  Their presence in the UK was mentioned on this forum recently - there is no record of this import from Eire on beebase.  Or is it again a case of turning a blind eye to that what suits us.

----------


## gavin

Ireland to UK mainland bee movement? Lowish risk, but I'm not entirely comfortable with that if you really want to know, despite me buying my first ever queens (Irish ones) this year. In the reverse direction, I think those in Ireland should be even more cautious of UK bees given the scale of transnational trade in live bees.  S Italy to N Italy to the UK mainland to Ireland would not take much time these days. 

So you do accept that detection of bee pathogens is far from instantaneous and complete? That has been the history and the reality we're living in. Failures of containment and globalisation of bee pests. We can keep Colorado potato beetle out of the UK for decades but let's roll over when a bee coleopteran pest comes along.

Here's another case. The bee collapses in Spain have now, quite recently, been ascribed to Nosema ceranae with Lake Sinai Virus.  Two previously poorly understood pathogens acting in concert, or so it seems. Free trade creates endless possibilities of such combinations - free trade is not an appropriate model for bees, never mind who agreed or didn't agree with previous consultations. I don't remember being asked. 


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## Duncan

So you admit importing queen bees from Eire without the required paperwork?

----------


## gavin

> So you admit importing queen bees from Eire without the required paperwork?


The island of Ireland consists of both another European country - the Republic of Ireland - and part of the UK (when I last looked), Northern Ireland.

----------


## Duncan

Of course you do not need veterinary certification to move bees from NI to any other part of the UK.  The use of the word Ireland on its own usually implies Eire, from where imports require paperwork.  You are dodging the question about the origin of the the queens you purchased.  

It has already been mentioned that pests and diseases are often detected by the authorities after they have been present for a couple of years and therefore it is risky to import bees from anywhere.  I should imagine the same thought must apply to both Eire and NI.

----------


## fatshark

> Unless of course the detection of SHB in Italy fits in very comfortably with your own personal general agenda of anti-imports.


My only 'agenda' is preventing the introduction of SHB to the UK ... or, for that matter, elsewhere. A defining feature of the global spread of pathogens is that human activity - trade, war etc. - has exacerbated their spread. Far better we limit the chances of SHB spreading, than deal with it once it is here.

----------


## Bumble

> - there is no record of this import from Eire on beebase.


Are imports into Scotland listed on Beebase or somewhere on the Scotland Gov site?

I'm assuming that if bees are imported into England they can be moved freely elsewhere on the mainland (except to Colonsay), and I'm assuming that bees are free to swarm or forage in the Republic and Northern Ireland - or is there a bee and beekeeper exclusion zone to either side of the border?




> I think these assumptions are naive. I would prefer a ban on all imports.


I'm not sure if it is naive, but I would prefer a ban on movement of all products out of the area for the time being. I don't mind over reacting, it's not much different from rules preventing beef being exported to some countries in case there might be latent CJD.

Who'd have thought the Asian Hornet would arrive in Europe in a consignment of pottery. We know fruit, soil and plants are a route for transfer because, if these beetles are as widespread as the reports suggest, they will be feeding on fruit and pupating in the soil, as well as infesting feral colonies. The standstill orders should prevent any exports or movement of bees and bee products.

----------


## mbc

This talk of fruit is a red herring, the beetle may be able to survive on fruit, but they're not attracted to them and wouldn't make a bee line for a pile of fruit hoping to hitch a ride.  On the other hand, they are chemically programmed to home in on bee material from many miles away.  Probability suggests bee materials is where they will hitch a ride around the world, it's not as if there is any shortage of such material being shipped around.

----------


## chris

> On the other hand, they are chemically programmed to home in on bee material from many miles away. .


Apparently they can fly up to 8km. at a go, but I'm not so sure about the "homing in". In their attempts to develop a method of reducing the number of beetles in the hives, researchers worked on the inaccuracy of the beetles' flight and landing.
Ellis J. D. Jr., Delaplane K. S., Hepburn R., Elzen P. J., 2002. - Controlling Small Hive Beetles (Aethina tumida Murray) in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies Using a Modified Hive Entrance - American Bee Journal, 142 (4) : 288-290.

----------


## Neils

> Ah, that *was* sarcasm from Neil, then.
> 
> I'm totally bemused as to why the BBKA should want to downplay the risks of importing bees in comparison to other possible routes of entry into the UK.  Surely the number one, way and above anything else, risk is that someone will bring bees into the UK (packages, queens with attendents) carrying this pest - so this is the first and by far the most important thing to focus on?  Those 1767 recorded queens from Italy (the page has been updated since I last used data from there) and 1200 packages in 2014.
> 
> Specifically, is the BBKA really wanting to say this:
> _
> 'However, we expressed the strong view that movements of bees carried a  far lower risk than that of the shipment of fruit, vegetables and other  plant materials ...._ '
> 
> Eh??!!  Does that make even the slightest bit of sense to anyone reading this?  Is there any evidence for fruit, vegetables etc being a higher risk than live bees?  By all means consider and do something about the risk from the transport of fruit and suchlike, but for heavens sake, the movement of bees has to be the number one, top of the list, dramatic, serious, immediate risk, doesn't it?  The risk requiring immediate and strong action?
> ...


Me, Sarcastic? Perish the thought  :Smile: 

I've no idea what's going on with the BBKA at the moment, and that does seem an odd statement to make.  I might be missing something obvious, but it would seem to me that the risk of SHB from infected bees would be far more substantial that that from contaminated soil especially when there are large volumes of imports from areas where it seems that beekeepers are not forthcoming about the issues that they face and it is only the fortuitious arrival of an infected swarm into a university monitoring apiary that's blown the issue into the open.

----------


## Neils

Oops, not sure what happened there to lock the thread, but probably my fault, my apologies.

----------


## Jon

9 separate outbreaks detected now. Definitely not looking good.

http://www.federapi.biz/index.php?op...=1271&Itemid=1

San Ferdinando (RC), 28 September 2014 Twenty-third day of the discovery of small hive beetle. When you say Piana di Gioia Tauro and Port of Gioia Tauro, San Ferdinando also say: a whole village overlooking the Gulf, 4,500 inhabitants on a flat area of thirteen square kilometers overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vocation is predominantly agricultural, indeed citrus. And then even beekeeping. Being with the people here discover a warmth, a predisposition to

friendliness that is consistent with the insight of one who is accustomed to bending over backwards not to upset anyone. Even if you arrive in the days when the stillness, a place where life is cadenced by the wisdom of beekeeper who sniffs the air and recognizes the imminence of the blooms of citrus fruit or the intensity of the nectar, is shaken by the fall of a meteorite called small hive beetle; even now you refuse acceptance and availability. Yet San Ferdinando means the red zone, outbreaks official infested apiaries, the last confirmed today and we are in the ninth, testifying only a sad fact: in the vicinity of this small town in the province of Reggio Calabria there is a biological factory that produces beetles with the curious vocation to destroy the hives. No one is yet able to figure out where he is hiding and if he is acting from within an apiary not yet been visited by teams of veterinarians and beekeepers that even today, and it's Sunday, they beat the territory. Or if you rather, a hypothesis that is gaining increasing ground, small hive beetle is landed here from some Egyptian ship that transported unloaded, along with their bags of garbage, a trigger for the outbreak of this pest omnivorous. The checks are still in place, the clock is ticking but the circle is now about to be tight. Tomorrow (September 29, 2014) Dr. Franco Mutinelli, in his capacity as Head of the National Reference Centre for Beekeeping in the Ministry of Health, will be back here to take stock of the situation with the authorities of Public Health and the Beekeepers . It is expected from him a turn signal on what to do. Here is the summary of the data so far emerged nine officers small hive beetle outbreaks in many apiaries, for the most part located between the towns of San Fernando and Rosario. They are all small farms, in which were found only a few specimens of the adult beetle. In Outbreak n. 1 repeated checks to ten days after the first discovery of small hive beetle showed a reduction of the presence of mature, traps inspected speak for themselves. No evidence, visual examination, immature forms: eggs, larvae. What little statistical data processed so far tells us that the beetle is found in stronger families alongside the weak, in honeycombs freshly built and not just old ones and darker nuclei as in complete families. The hives that are positive are often also the ones in the head in a row, as if the drift of bees indirizzasse the landing of the parasite there where you gather more bees. Inspections outside the red zone have all failed. Today, finally, came the news that in Rome, during a meeting at the Institute Zooprofilattico, a ministry official has declared that he now hopes to be able to contain the infestation throughout the country are small. Words that create discomfort in the local beekeeping community, because in San Ferdinando as in the whole of Calabria anyone yet resigned to the idea that efforts to eradicate cease right now. Words, just words that in such a delicate moment they sound even as irresponsible. But the people here are accustomed to concrete facts; the efforts made so far, the will to make possible and impossible to avoid losing control of the parasite, the collaboration that beekeepers are giving Vets is the only word that applies to those who, in the red zone, it is still not working pause to avoid the Calabria and Italy irreparable harm.

----------


## chris

The link that I follow gives a much more optimistic report:

http://www.plateforme-esa.fr/index.p...ida&Itemid=328

The map shows the 2 new locations. The furthest from the original one is 6 km. So 4 in all.

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## chris

I should think a translation exists on the link Mazza posted.
post 103

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## Jon

That Italian site seems to update events daily.

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## gavin

The Italian National Reference Laboratory for Beekeeping lists 9 confirmed cases:

12 Sep - 1 case
18 Sep - 1 case
25 Sep - 2 cases
29 Sep - 5 cases

They are in 7 different localities in the Municipalities of Gioia Tauro, Rosarno and San Ferdinando.

It seems likely that the Italian authorities are getting the word out faster than the EU authorities.

http://www.izsvenezie.it/images/stor...N_20092014.pdf

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## mazza

> I should think a translation exists on the link Mazza posted.
> post 103


Have looked on the English version of the ANSES website (as per previous link), but no English version of the latest update available yet... As Gavin said though, looks like 5 of the cases were found/confirmed just today so maybe there'll be something tomorrow? Will keep an eye out...

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## mazza

The odd thing though is that the ministerial note dated today only quotes 5 confirmed cases, but maybe it was written before the final sites were confirmed?! Unless that was just the five new ones from today...?

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## Jon

12 apiaries with SHB now but no beetles found in the control colonies outside the exclusion zone so still a small chance of containment.
One of the latest apiaries had 100 colonies in it.




> Rizziconi (RC), 29 September 2014 Twenty-fourth day of the discovery of small hive beetle. Always in the epicenter, but we are more to the south than the discoveries made so far and it has changed the Municipality. If you add a new one to the list of areas in which they have been identified all other outbreaks: today the teams that have beaten the territory, beekeepers and veterinarians, have unearthed three; one still in Rosario, the other two in Rizziconi. The area of
> 
> reference is always to the Plain of Gioia Tauro, but more towards the inside over the State Route 18 and the stessaAutostrada A3, the infamous Salerno-Reggio Calabria. Three plus nine yesterday, we are now twelve outbreaks of small hive beetle. On site is also returned to Dr. Franco Mutinelli, the National Reference Centre for Beekeeping in the Ministry of Health. And 'he who is coordinating the operations and directing the controls on apiaries in the South quadrant, which had not yet been beaten. Two of the apiaries visited and found to be positive, with the usual and only the presence of adults of small hive beetle, and once again no immature form of the parasite, are of much greater magnitude than those of small size inspected and seized so far: one hundred hives spread over a single location. One senses that the operations are increasingly targeted, are taking on a more demanding pace, and we understand that the data collected today help to compose a clearer picture: the dials were all inspected. Outbreaks are now precious red dots on the map and are used to approximate the position of a target sensitive to the outbreak mother. In fact, the aircraft carrier from which small hive beetle stands undisturbed his night flight to sail in the direction of the smell that attracts the most: the irresistible scent of hives. The planned landing of this infallible mobile sensor is where the epicenter Beekeepers are suffering this damn "fallaut," the fallout of something very undesirable and even treacherous. Mutinelli is in contact with the Ministry of Health and, above all, with his colleagues at the European Reference Centre for Apiculture-Antipolis in Nice, France. There is close cooperation with those who view map of this area and decide on the basis of epidemiological, without thinking of anything but how does this parasite at the stage of the first settlement. And how you should behave, as a result, the person making an attempt so extreme, so complex, but inspired by a precise logic: eradication. So the news today are the ones that should be read by looking at the glass half full and not half empty one: new outbreaks, it is true, but the evidence that they offer has a particular value at this time, are radii of a circle that winds kilometers of the red zone may shrink to ten and then suddenly, there is hope everyone, close to the grip on the epicenter true. Another positive note, this twenty-fourth day of intake direct from the places of infestation, is that all other controls directed toward Polistena and San Giorgio Morgeto,
> we are already in Aspromonte for instance, have continued to fail. This is also a fact that there was a need to better target efforts, which must now be intensified. The hypothesis Incinerator is still under consideration, this also should be checked so that we can confirm or exclude the presence of small hive beetle, mother or secondary outbreak that is, on the tarmac of organic waste which the beetle is also usually eat . Without this verification also, in case of failure, you might be really against the backdrop of a decisive close the circle. The final efforts of this complex and delicate operation must therefore be intensified and focused on finding the outbreak, will be more in the coming days and, if the outbreak is discovered, it will then be possible to extinguish it. Let us cheer for this outcome, rather than for us already defeated. Italy bees can not afford the crash of two new flagella - small hive beetle and Vespa velutina - in one fell swoop. It would be an unbearable siege, and this would result in a meltdown.

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## busybeephilip

The infected area is ripe with fruit trees and there has been no reference to migratory beekeepers bringing hives into the area then leaving no doubt spreading the SHB

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## gavin

As for citrus, the main flowering is in spring so migratory beekeepers _may_ have left the area prior to the outbreak.  Some citrus has repeat flowering through the year, so perhaps they don't all take their bees away after the spring.

Today's tally of detections is now 13 apiaries in total.  One notable point is that one of the recent cases had beetle larvae present, like the first case in Gioia Tauro.  This was in Rizziconi, a district a few (3-4) km east of both Gioia Tauro and the container port slightly north of it. All the other cases involve adult beetles only, which suggests recent invasion.  

San Ferdinando, another locality with adult beetles, is immediately adjacent to the port to the north.  Rosarno is another about 4 km to the east of San Ferdinando.

All this is consistent with a fairly recent invasion coming from the port and with beetles now starting to reproduce locally.  However that can't be certain - equally the centre of the infestation could be elsewhere and the Gioia Tauro area represents a secondary centre. It may take some time to be certain of which situation applies.

The theory that the infestation came from Egypt seems tenable.  They have the beetle and there is a lot of trade between Italy and Egypt.  Of course this shows that other places trading with Egypt (and indeed other countries with SHB) are also at risk through that route.  Other Mediterranean countries, even the UK and Netherlands would fall into that category.

----------


## gavin

I wonder if anyone knows .... did Egypt get its beetles through range expansion within Africa, or did they come through international trade?  This may mean that the beetles in Italy are not the same as those in the USA and Australia.  They may have (slightly) different temperature requirements, sensitivities to control agents, DNA profiles.

----------


## Rosie

I wonder if the DNA of these beetles is being assessed in order to ascertain their country of origin or will that be seen as an academic investigation for the future?  I would say that it would be of immediate and practical interest to the rest of us so perhaps DEFRA will be or should be doing it now.

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## Jon

The latest cases include a couple of large apiaries of 100+ colonies.

Rosie - your PM file is full

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## gavin

They may be doing so, but their freedom to operate is likely to have been affected by the cuts and re-alignments going on there.  Certainly there would be much value in it and for several reasons.  

I see folk elsewhere (and perhaps here too) anxious not to have any impediment to importing for whatever reason.  Some even say 'bring it on!'.  Imagine if we could track any infestation here to a certain source, opening the prospect of massive lawsuits against anyone exporting them (or wilfully bringing them in).  That isn't just wishful thinking - at Llangollen we saw that methods are now sensitive enough to discriminate Hawaiian ligustica, carnica, from German and NZ equivalents.  It could, in theory, be the same with SHB.  In any new invasion of a pest like this it is quite possible that there will be differences due to bottlenecking which then mean that sub-populations are slightly different.  You might imagine that there could be a signature of SHB from the US, Australia, Egyptian via Italy (if that is what we're facing), maybe even Egyptian to one of the other S European places that export queens to the UK.  Greece, Cyprus, Crete, maybe Spain.

As you can see I've been following closely the patterns of spread in Calabria.  The bee inspection service in the UK will be at least the equal of that in S Italy, and we ought to expect an equally high degree of resolution around the first detections.

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## Rosie

Perhaps we should work on a protocol for saving examples of the first beetles found so that we can prove when and where they were found to help in potential future litigation.

I've emptied my inbox now Jon. Thanks.

That conference had some great speakers Gavin didn't it.  When you see all those scientists and influential beekeepers in one event it shows what a potentially powerful force for good that could be mustered.

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## Jon

> That conference had some great speakers Gavin didn't it.  When you see all those scientists and influential beekeepers in one event it shows what a potentially powerful force for good that could be mustered.


Was hard to chose which lecture to go to on several occasions and I missed a few speakers I would like to have heard.

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## mbc

> Was hard to chose which lecture to go to on several occasions and I missed a few speakers I would like to have heard.


Me too.  The presentations I did get to were very good though.  It was nice to put a few faces to usernames!

Back on the subject of SHB, one would have thought with the clear consensus shown by everyone I talked to at the conference(perhaps unsurprisingly at a BIBBA event!) that we should immediately close our borders to Italian, and possibly all continental imports given the SHB outbreak, that the executive might have assured us that renewed efforts would be made to lobby for just that, but not a peep.

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## Adam

We don't need the imports; therefore we should stop them coming in.
Even in winters of high losses, one colony can make three without too much of a problem so beekeepers can easily make up for lost numbers.

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## Jon

Latest news, now 16 confirmed cases.
This statement also flags up the risk due to migratory beekeeping and the fact that nucs and queens have left the area.




> On the day of October 1 were found three more infested apiaries in the most southern of the research, in the municipalities of Gioia Tauro and Rizziconi, bringing the total number of infested apiaries in 16.20141001 Zoom20km ITA icon
> The investigations followed the October 1 to September 30 discovery of an apiary with a beekeeper in larval forms of Rizziconi, then the other apiaries were inspected in the same company. In all new cases were found larvae, then tightens the circle around the origin of the infestation (case 0)?
> The Reference Centre for Apiculture at the IZS delle Venezie has published a list of the confirmed cases. With these findings the infested area now extends over an area of ​​about 60 sq km.
> To the north, although it has come to determine the extent of the area infested, the absence of larval forms suggests a more recent spread of the beetle.
> It is not clear at the southern limit of the area with all forms of development of the parasite, then infested with more time.
> In this small hive may have made ​​several reproductive cycles, which often fails to perform mainly at the expense of the weak hives (eg. Nuclei insemination of queens), and from there be left to spread, thanks to the remarkable ability of flight of the beetles adults, to the north.
> The areas affected by the phenomenon are very important for the nomadic citrus, but there are also active companies that sell bees (queens, nuclei, etc..). According to the ministerial note branched today, are considered at high risk who have apiaries in Calabria, or nomadism who received living biological material (queens, packages, nuclei) from the Calabria region in 2014, especially the CRT disorders bee Unaapi urges all beekeepers whose hives were infested area or who bought nuclei, packages or queens from the same area to carefully check the presence of the beetle in their apiaries. We recommend that you follow the method described in Note ministerial, making use of the help of diagnostic bands in cellular plastics (see data sheet prepared by the CRT disorders bee Unaapi).

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## busybeephilip

> The infected area is ripe with fruit trees and there has been no reference to migratory beekeepers bringing hives into the area then leaving no doubt spreading the SHB



Yes, I had commented on the commercial movement of hives for pollination in two previous posts as the area is a very strong orange growing region.  This type of activity would cause a rapid spread outside the exclusion zone that the Italians have set up.  Looks like the penny is dropping and this is being thought about

Also, its the odd hives scattered here and there plus feral colonies near orange growers dwelling places  that are unknown and not being inspected are the ones that will cause biggest problems later thus making it impossible to contain and eradicate the infestation

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## Jon

I suspect you are right. With any of the bee pests and pathogens once they arrive they are there to stay.
If no queens, packages or nucs have left Italy since the beetle arrived, and that is by no means certain, the best first step would be an immediate ban on any bee exports from Italy. With 16 confirmed cases and surely more to follow the beetle has obviously been spreading for a considerable time.

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## chris

> Yes, I had commented on the commercial movement of hives for pollination in two previous posts as the area is a very strong orange growing region.  This type of activity would cause a rapid spread outside the exclusion zone that the Italians have set up.  Looks like the penny is dropping and this is being thought about


Marie-Pierre Chauzat is in charge of the French part of the delegation, and writes the reports for ANSES Sophia Antipolis. In her first report, after the initial outbreak, she wrote

 Inspections are also planned for apiaries carrying out migratory beekeeping to the region of Calabre.In the case of discovery of larvae or adults,the destruction of the whole apiary and the treatment of the surrounding soil will be carried out. 
The eurocent dropped before the penny?

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## gavin

One update of significance.  The Italian National Reference Laboratory for Beekeeping status report on 3rd October included a case at Candidoni, a village in a different region of Calabria and about 15km from the first discovery.

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## chris

The slightly optimistic news is the 2nd map on

http://www.plateforme-esa.fr/index.p...ida&Itemid=328

which shows the inspections so far carried out outside the 100 km. zone.

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## gavin

Nice to see at least some green around the cluster of red crosses.  I wonder why the heavy focus in Crotone - migratory beekeeping links perhaps?

I suppose that the green nature of these dots is provisional.  Just a couple of beetles could start a new local infestation and very small numbers may be hard to spot.

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## Rosie

They don't seem to have inspected any immediately to the North of the known cases.

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## Bumble

Well done to some Scottish reporters! At last!
P&J Beekeepers on hunt for small hive beetle after Italian outbreak
Herald Scotland Killer beetle threat to bees
The Scottish Farmer Bee vigilant

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## gavin

> Well done to some Scottish reporters! At last!


Handed to them on a plate by a Scottish Government Press Release though.  The Scottish Farmer managed to illustrate their piece with this photo:

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## gavin

Now the green dots are surrounding the known area in NW Calabria.  Sicily has some negatives too.

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## fatshark

Rooky error … illustrating an article on SHB with a picture of _Tropilaelaps_  :Wink:

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## gavin

Is that you just testing the Scottish Press to see if they don't just copy their stories from SBAi?   :Smile:

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## fatshark

Better here than another place  :Wink: 

Interesting map. Somewhat reassuring but I'd like to see some green dots in Catanzaro … or is there no testing going on there? How is the testing organised? Nationally or by region?

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## gavin

No idea!

The Italian national and EU teams look as if they are spreading out from the epicentre.  But Crotone?  Either they have their own enthusiastic inspectors locally, or a couple of the national inspectors were going home for the weekend to Crotone and decided to do some apiaries while they were there.  Nah, too much work doing all these apiaries.  They must have their own team.

The expansion out from NW Calabria has just been reported in the last couple of days.  Give them time and they'll reach Catanzaro.

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## chris

> Sicily has some negatives too.


It's a reserve for Amm (apis mellifera mafia)

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## gavin

Careful!  They may know where you live ......

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## Jon

Omerta.

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## chris

fingers crossed

http://www.plateforme-esa.fr/index.p...ida&Itemid=328

"Omerta. "

and tongue tied

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## gavin

That report was based on the findings up to 3rd October.  Yesterday's batch pushed the number of affected apiaries up to 23 and extended the area affected inland.  

Given that:

- the area known to be affected is large
- there is a likelihood of the beetle reproducing in Calabria for some time
- it can live off fruit
- there will be plenty of apiaries unknown to the authorities in the area (and probably feral colonies too), and not everyone coming forward especially as detection means destruction (without compensation I think)
- the area is used by migratory beekeepers
- like most bee pests, it is likely to move in small numbers well ahead of the ability to detect it

Personally I find it a little worrying that the official ANSES site is saying: 'These results are encouraging since they show that, up to date, the SHB  infestation might be restricted to a small area in the Calabrian region.'

If they stop all movements of hives, packages and queens in (and out of!) Italy, then continue detailed searches across all of Italy for 1-2 years, and still come up with the same restricted distribution, I might believe that.

Yesterday's map of Calabrian detections:

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## fatshark

BBC has coverage today of invasive species after the quagga mussel story at the weekend. 
No mention of these little coleopteran b'stards though.

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## busybeephilip

There is 31 cases now

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## gavin

35 apiaries including one out of the province of Reggio Calabria (but nearby). 

This interesting presentation from the head of the Italian bee reference lab at a meeting in Brussels:

http://www.izsvenezie.it/images/stor...ls_6_10_14.pdf

And this video showing an inspection (and detection) in action.

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## gavin

You can see little critters, presumably SHB, flying off the comb around 0:19.  Then there's a close-up of one taking to the air at 1:53.  Active little buggers.  Offski to the apiary down the road perhaps.  

If you had a small invasion of maybe half a dozen of them, what percentage of beekeepers would notice them before they started reproducing?  Then you have just a couple of weeks before they're wriggling out the door looking for suitable places to pupate.  

Anyone have any guesses as to how long they've been in Calabria?  For so many apiaries to be affected (so far detected anyway) I could easily see that being a year or so.  Those stories about surges in coumaphos sales last year may well be true and if they are then make that two years.

I wonder how many migratory beekeepers are going to stick their hands up and say: hey, I think I just saw one, come and destroy all my bees!?

Despite those thoughts, you have to feel for those poor beekeepers watching their hobbies, sidelines and businesses going down the tubes in front of them.

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## Rosie

This picture was taken from the French site that is keeping us up to date with the outbreak developments.  It was taken on 1st October.  Presumably the beekeeper concerned had not noticed them!

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## gavin

Maybe not noticed them, maybe saw them but hadn't a clue what to do about them.  I'm not sure that I'd know what to do, other than calling in the troops and watching them torch my bees.  At least the Italian beekeepers do seem to be getting compensation.

I gather there's a CONBA meeting this week which may offer a chance to get the UK organisations to at least start talking about what beekeepers want to happen.

www.mieliditalia.com is saying:

'At the moment *it is not, yet, been officially announced any action that guarantees compensation to beekeepers* at least the value of the hives down.'

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## fatshark

It was notable that the colony in the video was not exactly bursting with bees. I've read that strong colonies are much better at keeping the beetles out. A commercial friend of mine recently commented to me that he was always surprised at how 'weak' the majority of amateurs keep their colonies, and that they were less good at collecting honey (probably true). If that's also the view of the Italian migratory beekeepers then perhaps there is a faint hope it might be contained.

Fingers crossed …

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## gavin

I had exactly the same comment from an ex-commercial beekeeper and current examiner the other night on the weak nature of many amateur colonies.  Strong colonies might keep some beetles out but the main effect seems to be that they corral beetles and prevent them reproducing.  Until later perhaps.  And there will always be weak colonies moved around by migratory beekeepers even intentionally to build them up.  Certainly in the States migratory beekeepers get the blame for annual surges in beetle numbers in places where they don't seem to persist naturally.  All this guesswork at a distance is prone to error, but we need to be thinking about it to make sure that we're doing all we can to keep SHB out.

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## mbc

Not sure keeping strong colonies is going to be any help keeping the beetles out, rather it will save colonies once it's here. I think it's too much to expect that an area will have no weak colonies which the beetles can overcome and spread from.

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## prakel

A friend from the US who posts here very rarely has also told me that keeping strong colonies is the way to maintain control -I'll try to get her to post on the subject when she has time. 

But as mbc says, there are always going to be prey colonies to keep the beetles going.

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## Adam

Are the Italian colonies weak 'cos they keep shaking bees off frames and into mesh boxes and shipping their bees over to us in packages?
And if you have a pollination contract for a certain number of hives, it's unlikely that there will be a check on the real size of the colony, so split it into two and you get double your money?

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## busybeephilip

I'd imagine that the hives in the area belong mostly to amateurs. At this time of year there would be little foraging for the bees so colonies would be downsizing for winter.  The professionals will have moved out months ago up North now at their winter quarters after the pollination contacts and summer crops are over.  

Italian's will never get rid of the beetle now, its established breeding and spreading as indicated by the new cases appearing each week.  

Commercial beekeepers who have moved out of the area will be keeping their heads down until the colony destruction process is declared non-viable (just like varroa first arrived in Sligo, Ireland) then its just a case of monitoring the epidemiology and implementing export/movement bans to uninfected areas in place.  Result - a slow spread into europe then into UK

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## gavin

Posted this morning on Apitalia, a commentary on the destruction policy:

*They keep the bonfires* 
  [ Back to index ]



 _Francesco Colafemmina takes stock of small hive in Calabria._ _There  are many considerations and concerns in the light of what we believe is  essential to open the discussion between the parties involved, starting  with researchers and beekeepers._ _We highly respect for authority and for their work and we are here to Apitalia available to all_ 

   The procedure for the eradication dell'Aethina tumida in Calabria began  exactly one month after the first complaint made by Professor Vincent  Palmeri on September 5 last year.  On October 5, the outbreaks were still twenty, today, October 16, have doubled in just 10 days.  Meanwhile, keep the fires that have so far affected more than 1,500 hives. 

  In this story, however, remain four points to be clarified.  And it would be appropriate to begin at least to think about it.  First, it is still unknown what was the first outbreak of small hive, so no one knows yet how could arrive in Italy. 

  Similarly we do not know how long it is present in Calabria.   E 'spread in an area of ​​about 20 km radius that has as its epicenter  the city of Rosario and about 40 confirmed outbreaks and more than 2000  hives checked the small hive was present larval state only in 3 of  these, then all' incirca 0.1% of the apiaries affected by the  destruction of these frantic days.   Only yesterday, were also found adult small hive in an apiary of Santa  Cristina d'Aspromonte and in one of Oppido Mamertina, places situated in  the extreme south of the red, at the beginning of the mountain range  that was believed to still unattainable for the 'small hive. 

  The third aspect concerns the timing of the unknown duration of the emergency.  It is not clear, in fact, as long as the next stage in the spread of the parasite will continue to set fire to the hives.  So it is not clear how the fourth and final aspect: the amount of repayments.   Some speak of about 100 euro per family, but 100 euro only cover the  costs of bees, missing the value of the equipment, failure to  manufacture, etc.. 

   In this framework, while placing the utmost confidence in the  authorities, there remains evidence of a wizard more by emotion than by a  clear programming.   Let's start by saying that the first official document on this  emergency is a "Note" from the Ministry of Health dated 09.12.2014.   The note announces the arrival of the parasite and you have the  measures provided for in the Ministerial Order of 18.06.2004 containing  the "Rules for the prophylaxis dell'Aethina beetle and the  Tropilaelaps."  E 'in this note of ten years ago that it provides for the possibility of eradicating the small hive.   But the rather paradoxical aspect of the order is that not only are  certain conditions for the eradication, but that the same is proposed  through the use of what is contained in the Presidential Decree of  08.02.1954.  This decree concerns the destruction of bee colonies with overt American foulbrood.   A bacterial disease and certainly not a parasite which - incidentally -  can hide and reproduce even in the supers stowed in the laboratory. 

   The paradox, then, is twofold: on one hand there is the risk that at  this rate, without the intervention of legislation that clarifies the  conditions and limits of eradication, it progressively destroy all  apiaries in which the small hive will fly;   on the other hand there is reason to suspect that the practice of  destruction of the apiaries using the procedure laid down in the case of  American foulbrood can be useless if dell'Aethina. 

   And what about the new notes issued by the Ministry of Health on  10/01/2014 and extending controls in virtually all regions of Italy?  What happens in the event of an outbreak outside the area red?  At present the only hypothesis is to eradicate.  What happens, then, when in April the small hive will be released somewhere glomere and it will restart its reproductive cycle?  What will happen when it will be re-discovered in the spring in Calabria or somewhere else in Italy?  We will proceed here eradication?  We will continue to reduce to poverty dozens of families of beekeepers Italian?  Either you declare the endemicity of the parasite?   And speaking of endemicity, we are confident that this will happen  soon, because after 30 years, the endemicity of varroa has not yet been  officially proclaimed? 

  It should, in any case, to realize that, first, the small hive is not an apocalyptic drama and that can be controlled.   In these days of small hive beetle speaking with experts such as  Professor Ellis of the University of Florida and Professor Hood of  Clemson University, their astonishment was palpable in regard to this  "insane" procedure adopted in Italy.   Burn thousands of hives, beekeeping destroy an entire area with the aim  of making scorched earth around all'Aethina looks so much like the  proposed action to eradicate a formidable army USA hemorrhagic fever  outbreak in an African village in the film with Dustin Hoffman in 1995  titled _Outbreak._   Similar to the plot of the film is as if he had thrown a powerful bomb  on an area of ​​60 km2, to kill all the bees present along with their  parasite.   Also because addressing the small hive means in some ways turn the  Italian bee which is often random, chaotic, improvised romantic.  And this change costs huge effort.   But as in Outbreak often just a sweet little monkey or in our case a  swarm wild installed in a wall or a tree trunk to spread after some time  it was believed that the threat eliminated forever.  We only hope that such a situation never happens.   On the other hand, the lobbies of pesticides (neonicotinoids laws) can  not wait to be able to blame the death of bees in a new parasite,  waiting to see reinstated its products in Europe.   That's why in my opinion it makes no sense to continue to eradicate the  bees to avoid the presence dell'Aethina: we must on the contrary live  with improving and updating beekeeping beekeeping practices anarchist  and divided that to save himself must deal with his own weaknesses and  obvious limitations.



  (By Francesco Colafemmina - 17/10/2014)

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## Jon

That view would be held by a lot of bee farmers and migratory beekeepers. Declare SHB endemic therefore it is pointless to destroy any more hives.
I wonder how many have seen a beetle or two and are keeping their heads down to avoid statutory destruction of their bees and equipment.

If that happens the UK should declare a total ban on the import of Italian packages and nucs.

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## Rosie

We should ban then anyway and reopen trade after they can prove it's been eradicated. I can't remember any farmer claiming that foot and mouth should be declared endemic and their pain was a lot worse than that of Italian beekeepers.

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## Adam

Jon's comment makes me consider whether some beekeepers might try to keep their heads down (even hide colonies?) and then wait for the announcement that SHB can't be stopped and hey presto - instant colonies! As it is, a potential 100 euros (around £80) payment per lost colony isn't a lot when you consider pollination fees and honey production over the course of a couple of years. I cannot guess what loss of pollinators will do to harvests in the area where otherwise migratory beekeepers would be carting their bees in. Have any or many migratory beekeepers who have removed their bees from the area been examined?

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## gavin

Exactly.  Whether or not beekeepers elsewhere in Italy would welcome inspections that would condemn their stocks and businesses, any bee from Italy is too much of a risk.  The state of this outbreak shows it has been around long enough to have very likely already escaped the cordon.

The Sardinian beekeepers demanded a ban on bees from mainland Italy weeks ago.  From this Google Translate effort it looks like a task force of academics, beekeeper representatives and public officials (not too sure about that last one) have repeated that call in the last few days.

Guys, do you know what the Welsh and Ulster beekeepers were taking to CONBA?  The combined might of the UK organisations has to be pressing for the right things, and the BBKA seems to be in denial that moving bees is the main risk to be tackled first.  We should be taking a lead from the Sardinians rather than the BBKA.  CONBA also seems to be the route for UK beekeepers into Europe and it would be great to know what Europe and what other EU nations are doing.

http://apiaresosdearbaree.wordpress....ethina-tumida/


*A task force for beekeeping Sardinia.  Emergency small hive beetle*  Posted by apiaresos under Reports and Communications 
Leave a Comment   Yesterday, October 14 from 10:30 am until 13:30 forwarded to a meeting on the 4th floor of the *'Regional Health Department,* issued by the board, has incignato a task  force for three years will be committed to beekeeping.   In the interests of sharing a part of it were called over to the vets  with specific skills beekeeping from the corresponding services of ASL  sardines (Marcello, Eat Massidda, Frau, Mulliri, Mocci, Balzano,  Ganbrielli, Daga, Picoi), Laore ( more), the Service of the Regional  Agriculture Production (Piras), the Forestry Department of Environmental  Surveillance (Foddis, Lampreu), the University of Sassari (Floris) and  representatives of beekeepers: Giuseppe Sardi Beekeepers Bellosi to the  Committee, Franco Anedda for the Consortium Beekeepers Sardis, Joseph  Caboni for the OP Terra Antiga and the writer for *Apiaresos.*  The meeting was called to discuss a calamity, which we hope to beekeeping Sardinian, not next venture: the small hive beetle.   Dr Paper set out the reasons which have led the Department to form this  structure, while Dr. Marcello, who is the regional representative, drew  attention to the fact that the threat dell'Aethina tumida can be  effectively controlled by applying, in addition to a ban on imports of  bees from the Peninsula, the rules currently in force.   Law 30, said the Marcellus, which includes a series of rules, well  known to beekeepers, which regulate the movement of hives, but also the  complaint of their possession.  The prof.   Floris has offered a broad overview of the beetle: the specific  taxonomy of the parasite to the phenomenology of diffusion, by  monitoring the traps to catch.  E 'followed by the intervention of Dr.   Mulliri who illustrated the ministerial instructions on how to perform  surveillance in the areas of competence of the Regions and Autonomous  Provinces in respect of the apiaries deemed at risk for the small hive  beetle infestation.  It is therefore open and wide ranging discussion that touched, inevitably, the most diverse subjects.   Among other things, the representatives of the beekeepers have  highlighted the objective difficulty of reconstructing any purchases  made by bees from beekeepers in Calabria Sardinia immediately of the  discovery official dell'Aethina.   It is also believed that in twenty instances for the purchase of bees  financed by EC Reg. Few or perhaps none in 1234 relate to material from  Calabria.   Since, according to that rule, the sale of bees must be done for  emission certification requirements, a verification capillary at the  manufacturers who sold Calabrian bees in Sardinia, may be nullifying.   Correctly some of the services called to be part of this group (Laore,  CFVA, Department of Agriculture) have declared their availability,  provided as part of their institutional responsibilities.   The ministerial instructions would place Sardinia in an area in the  medium risk, which therefore provides for the intervention of monitoring  for herds with at least 300 hives.   The writer has observed that it is possible that beekeepers with the  size of the company or enterprise owners highly professionalized and  upgraded, to know easily identify the presence dell'Aethina in hives and  can communicate it to veterinary services, facilitating much work  given, it would seem, 8 veterinarians for the entire Island.   Doubts persist for beekeepers and newcomers with company size well  below, on which much more relevant would be the monitoring carried out  by the veterinary services.   In this regard, the option suggested by Prof. Floris is that of an  external intervention exclusively with the placement of diagnostic traps  at 150 m.  dall'apiario, thus avoiding a more extensive work within the hive.   It notes with satisfaction that the final outcome of yesterday's  meeting, summarized by Dr. Carta, are coincident with the Apiaresos with  a specific instance, sent 2 October alderman of Health, of which we  reproduce below the full text, he asked.  That is: total ban on imports of bees in Sardinia;  contextual start of monitoring.  But Apiaresos has also offered the availability of its technicians bee for the monitoring activities.   On the hot topic dell'Aethina tumida, Apiaresos has scheduled a meeting  of shareholders for Wednesday, October 29, at 17.30, at the head office  in Piazza Roma in Marriottsville.   It will be a full and partial intervention lead by Umberto Vesco in two  days of November, developed by engineers at Apiaresos, on the basis of a  detailed documentary material prepared by CRT dell'UNAAPI. 

  Luigi Manias 

  __________________________________________________  __________________________ 

_Ales 10/02/2014_ 

_Dear_ 

_Autonomous Region of Sardinia_ 

_Department of hygiene and health and social care_ 

_Councillor Dr ca._ _Luigi Benedetto Arru_ 

_Via Roma, 223-09123 Cagliari_ 



_Subject: Measures to mitigate beetle small hive beetle_ 



_Apiaresos  is the only association of beekeepers existing in Sardinia, which  operates without interruption from 1987 Sardinian beekeeping is looming  in the near future a terrible threat that could be dispelled with the  immediate implementation of appropriate restrictive measures by Codest  Department._ _On September 5, in the town of Gioia Tauro (RC) was officially reported the presence dell'Athina tumida._ _It  is a parasite of the bee beetle native to South Africa, which causes  considerable damage to the hives destroying stocks of pollen and honey;_ _irreversibly compromising the brood and the hive condemning extinction._ 


_Apiaresos  therefore asks that steps be taken to block the importation of queen  bees and swarms from the mainland to the island to prevent the spread of  the beetle._ _Yes  also requests that the competent bodies to take steps to organize an  appropriate monitoring network to ensure the regional allowance from  parasites in question._ _The  Association Apiaresos it provides through its members, technical  beekeeping, veterinary lp to collaborate with relevant bodies in order  to maintain the state of allowance from the dangerous beetle._ 

_Sardinia,  according to the results of the analyzes of these last years of  laboratory CRA -API of Bologna, boasts a genetic heritage that sees  today hold one of the lines of Italian bee (ligustica) more intact._ _Therefore,  the allowance by the fearsome beetle, with respect to the probable and  endemic spread in the Peninsula, would provide important opportunities  for beekeepers islanders of income in the sale of nuclei of bees and  queen bees._ 


_Best regards_ 
_The President_ 
_John Schirra_

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## busybeephilip

So there we have it.

Declare SHB within the red circle endemic and stop hive destruction and stop compensation payouts (how many hives had been split overnight into 3+ boxes to get compensation  :Smile:   ) Italy probably cant afford these payouts anyhow.

This allows the more valuable to the ecomony essential commercial pollination into the area and continue with "move bees in" and "move beetles out" so extending the red circle.  Just what the commercial beekeepers want.

Meanwhile,  as all Italy is declared endemic then the beetle will march towards Britain.  Same thing will happen, a few hives will be destroyed at the point of entry , compensation fund will dry up, until someone realizes that the beetle has been around too long.  Then Ireland ?  (I bet Ebola gets here first)

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## busybeephilip

> We should ban then anyway and reopen trade after they can prove it's been eradicated. I can't remember any farmer claiming that foot and mouth should be declared endemic and their pain was a lot worse than that of Italian beekeepers.



It will NEVER NEVER NEVER be eradicated

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## Rosie

> It will NEVER NEVER NEVER be eradicated


Any ban should stay in place then until it's endemic here.

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## Jon

You can see why the Sardinians think the way they do. An island provides a natural boundary which could stop the arrival of SHB if imports are banned.
I would guess the best case scenario is a slow advance across Italy and in the worst case there will be fresh outbreaks far from this current one.
Both GB and Ireland have a natural defense if there is legislation put in place to stop imports. The bbka should wake up and smell the coffee. Mind you the UBKA drafted a very wishy washy statement which did not call for a ban on imports. The NIHBS statement was clear enough.

Has Bibba put out a statement or done any lobbying with the BBKA?

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## Rosie

> Has Bibba put out a statement or done any lobbying with the BBKA?


Individual committee members have but nothing has been done officially yet. I am hoping something will come out of the next exec meeting.

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## busybeephilip

Looks like hive beetle cases in Italy are sitting at 48 apairy sites, all are within the plain bounded by the mountains/hills.   I'm sure there will be more cases

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## Duncan

Why should there be any compensation for the destruction of colonies?  Is there any EU compensation when colonies with AFB are destroyed?  What about the damage caused by Varroa to millions of colonies across the EU - any compensation for die offs?  If it were another kind of livestock  (pigs/cows/sheep chickens)  there would be lots of compensation and concern - but as it is only a load of stupid bees and beekeepers just write it off.

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## mbc

> Why should there be any compensation for the destruction of colonies?  Is there any EU compensation when colonies with AFB are destroyed?  What about the damage caused by Varroa to millions of colonies across the EU - any compensation for die offs?  If it were another kind of livestock  (pigs/cows/sheep chickens)  there would be lots of compensation and concern - but as it is only a load of stupid bees and beekeepers just write it off.


As any dam fule nose, beekeepers r all wel2do types who can take the hit anywaees

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## gavin

Its a Friday night.  Poor Dunc (OK if I call you Dunc?) has probably been on the sauce, we should forgive him his confusion.

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## Duncan

Morning All,
The only sauce I had yesterday was HP on my bacon!  I'm not confused at all.  Throughout the EU the policy if AFB is found is to burn the hives - correct?  No compensation from the state at all is there?  So why should there be any for SHB destruction?
IF I'm  wrong on this, please do correct me.

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## prakel

I can see sense in offering an early day compensation payment to try and stop SHB getting a foothold in new countries (although I daresay that even then we'd have fools trying to take advantage by shipping in SHB) but once they're established then I agree, no payment can be expected -with the possible exception of forward thinking Scotland where we've already seen bee-farmers getting (sometimes) what amounts to cold-weather payments  :Smile:

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## mbc

> Morning All,
> The only sauce I had yesterday was HP on my bacon!  I'm not confused at all.  Throughout the EU the policy if AFB is found is to burn the hives - correct?  No compensation from the state at all is there?  So why should there be any for SHB destruction?
> IF I'm  wrong on this, please do correct me.


You're wrong. At least some departments in France shook swarm afb.  
There should be compo for shb to avoid beekeepers hiding infected colonies and diminishing the chances of eradicating it.

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## Duncan

The shook swarm method is not 100% sure.  Other forms of livestock get more than adequate compensation when they are destroyed because of disease.  Beekeepers rarely get compensation.  Maybe it is a case of if the baby cries loud enough and long enough that someone will eventually feed it to shut it up.

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## prakel

> Maybe it is a case of if the baby cries loud enough and long enough that someone will eventually feed it to shut it up.


I think that we should be careful what we wish for. There're never going to be ongoing payments for destroying colonies if SHB get a foothold because culling will have to be stopped and we'll then be left to manage our bees and deal with the beetles as we go. But, what we will be left with is the extra level of bureaucracy that's guaranteed to come with a compensation scheme.

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## Duncan

Yes I agree - apply for a grant/subsidy and get ready to supply 200 sheets of paper all properly signed stamped and authenticated.  Best to also have an accountant and lawyer with you.

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## mbc

> I think that we should be careful what we wish for.


I fervently wish that no compo for shb will be necessary

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## Rosie

Whatever we think about subsidies the current system seems to be failing as of the 48 known instances of SHB only one was reported by its owner.  There is a large area in the centre of the outbreak where every single apiary is affected and some with beetles of all stages.

On a slightly different tack why are the BBKA members tolerant of the idiotic BBKA stance?

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## gavin

Hand out public money to beekeepers losing colonies and many of them will just go and order more from far-flung places.  That has to be a bad thing especially when, these days, you might get a document printed on nice paper but you often don't really know how reliable was the inspection it confirms, and whether any inspection would detect a few SHB in a large bulk or some new virus to interact with the Nosema ceranae we already have.  But when the Authorities are trying to stamp out a new pathogen then they will be brutal and need as few beekeepers as possible to be hiding, so I can see the point in compensating for SHB destruction. 

This is the point when I have to say that the main hobby beekeeping organisations early in their existence made sure that they put in place compensation schemes funded by the members.  This was explicitly to encourage the community spirit required for beekeepers to put their hand up when they had something that might badly affect their neighbours.  It costs a small fraction of a legal Varroa treatment per hive to do this.  Why do the bee farmers not run their own compensation scheme?

Across the EU beekeepers get hand-outs from the EU Apiculture Programme for 'restocking'.  Just restocking in the normal course of events, from PPB or whatever other cause, not severe weather payments.  Surely this just encourages a lack of sustainability in beekeeping.  Something for the UK PM to point at when looking for savings to avoid some of that huge bill he has in front of him?  It would hurt some of the bee exporters, but would be one small step towards making beekeeping more self-sufficient.

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## gavin

So it seems, but I'm not sure that we know that no-one volunteered information.  We should also bear in mind that there could be many more cases where the beekeepers themselves are destroying affected colonies.  That happened in 2009 when there was the discovery of a huge EFB problem locally.  I know that many were not being deliberately hidden from the authorities then (though some were for a while, a few were suspicious of authority), it was just that beekeepers wanted to get on with the job and eliminate infection.  Even when the authorities were told of these cases they hadn't confirmed each case themselves so they weren't recorded.  Could easily have been more than double the number of official cases then. 

The worry is this might be going on ahead of SHB inspections in other regions of Italy so that the remaining SHBs will not be detected for a while longer, if they are there. 

As for the BBKA, I despair.  It seems to be an organisation that just can't get things right.  The one discussion I had with a senior BBKA person was going nowhere.  I'm so glad that I'm not a member.

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## fatshark

> On a slightly different tack why are the BBKA members tolerant of the idiotic BBKA stance?


I suspect there's a significant number of BBKA members who import queens and possibly even packages. Their stance on imports has always seemed a bit woolly to me _e.g._ the rather lukewarm encouragement to use local/native bees in the classified column. The annual influx of new beekeepers every spring needs nucs-a-plenty  many of these beginners join the BBKA via the association they trained with. It might be bad for business to reduce the supply of bees for newcomers. I'm raising the SHB issue via my association and will shortly talk with a Trustee about it.

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## gavin

There should, of course, at the top of any organisation with influence, be 1) a degree of knowledge of a topic so that the right responses can be made when needed, and 2) a constant desire to do the right thing.

One new snippet.  At the Annual Conference in Piedmont, there was an interesting discussion on SHB involving leading figures in Italian beekeeping and key regulators such as Franco Mutinelli, head of the Italian National Reference Lab for Beekeeping and Maroni Ponti from the Ministry of Health Directorate for Animal Health and Vererinary Medicine.  This from Giovanni Guido (of the beekeeping organisation CRT Unaapi PA): _

10,000 queens went from there (_he may be talking about 'the south' rather than the affected region?_) to all Italian regions and central France, and swarms (_presumably packages?_) too.
_
That's a lot of queens.  Assuming this is true central France (and anywhere these queens went if quickly sold on) must be an enormous risk.  The guy from Piedmont was also saying there were links to beekeepers there from Calabria.  Also Dr Ponti seemed to be talking of migratory beekeepers taking their bees home when the outbreak surfaced.

Run this through Google Translate (or read it yourself in Italian):

http://www.mieliditalia.it/index.php...10-25-08-04-22

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## chris

France? Who cares about France?

Our regional association's attitude is that if it arrives it will never be kicked out. Everyone is being urged to insist on a written guaranty from the seller that the packages and queens don't originate from a colony imported from Italy since 2014. But Italy is our biggest supplier....
And what's a written guaranty worth when your hive gets infested.

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## Rosie

> I'm raising the SHB issue via my association and will shortly talk with a Trustee about it.


Good luck with that.  I know of someone else who tried to talk sense into them but got nowhere at all.  They seem to be so entrenched that I suspect the only thing that would influence them would be a complete haemorrhage of members joining alternative associations.

I can't recommend joining the WBKA yet as they have not, as far as I know, made any sort of announcement of their policy but knowing the people involved it will not be as half baked as the BBKA one.  If you join my local association (South Clwyd BKA) membership costs £15 a year.

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## gavin

> France? Who cares about France?


Moi!  Peut-être un peu .... 

They are probably right about eradication, unless you tackle the first apiary it gets to.  Maybe, just maybe, we can get some of the illegality out of beekeeping.  Those who import illegally, produce false or meaningless certificates, that kind of thing.  One advantage of a campaign as you describe is that raises awareness of the problem, and puts pressure on traders to comply with recommendations and regulations.  Perhaps it will also give people evidence to take some dodgy characters to the courts.

I would like to see someone (beekeeping organisations perhaps, BBKA probably excluded given their record) put up rewards for anyone supplying evidence that leads to a conviction for evading bee trade requirements.  Yeah, OK .....



.... but maybe.




> They seem to be  so entrenched that I suspect the only thing that would influence them  would be a complete haemorrhage of members joining alternative  associations.


The SBA hasn't come out with one yet but it will discuss this on 15th November at its Executive meeting, with the members at the Council meeting and at a local association secretaries meeting on the same day.  

There is also an article by the bee health guy in the next magazine, but if you've been paying attention here it may carry nothing much new  :Wink: .

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## prakel

> Moi!  Peut-être un peu .... 
> 
> They are probably right about eradication, unless you tackle the first apiary it gets to.  Maybe, just maybe, we can get some of the illegality out of beekeeping.  Those who import illegally, produce false or meaningless certificates, that kind of thing.  One advantage of a campaign as you describe is that raises awareness of the problem, and puts pressure on traders to comply with recommendations and regulations.  Perhaps it will also give people evidence to take some dodgy characters to the courts.


Before doing so, or at least simultaneously, they should be taking the incompetent UK officials to court (as well as relieving them of their jobs and any related pensions). You know the ones, those that allowed a load of legal packages to come into this country (penguins on a plane programe) on the back of a pickup complete with hitch-hikers 'all the way from Italy' hanging on the outside of the cages. What good is any health check IF strays are allowed to come along too?

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## gavin

That seems a bit harsh.  I wouldn't like to be relieved of my job or pension over something that isn't my responsibility.  As I understand it, within the EU the exporting country certifies and we are supposed to accept the standards of the exporting country.  The random checks made on arrival are only a sample.  Imports from Third Countries are different and all of these come through Border Inspection Ports.

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/publi...portReport.cfm

I'd rather target the shysters who bring in numbers of imports under the radar with no inspection at all.  For example, there was one guy on BKF recently boasting that he personally knew that the official record was less than half the real number. I'm not saying that the official imports are safe, just that the illegal ones likely to be the ones that come from even worse places, perhaps smuggled over some far away border into the EU by someone of very limited scruples.

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## prakel

I think that the official standards need to be of a much higher quality to begin with. The example I mentioned above shows that there's still plenty of room for improvement. 

As for the BKF guy, I didn't see that so don't know who it was or what position they're in to make such a statement. There's a lot of nonsense spouted on the forums such as a recent thread on BKF claiming that Batsis are using Galtee breeding stock for the amm which they import to the UK -18 months after I posted on there with contrary details which had themselves come to me direct from Batsis. Some people are very quick to look like authorities by repeating whispers but hate to do little ground work themselves.

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## gavin

Here is a diagram explaining the procedures for importing from the EU and from approved Third Countries (NZ, Argentina and, surprisingly given their SHB, Australia).  The requirement for the authorities here to physically examine EU imports is just 10%, a figure they greatly exceed in practice.  However I think that this inspection is after the event, once the bees have been installed.  Only Third Country imports go through Border Inspection Posts, and have the requirement to send all packaging to NBU (for England and Wales) after moving queens to introduction cages.

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downl...ent.cfm?id=299

As far as SHB goes, the Third Country procedure should help prevent the introduction of eggs and larvae but adults are likely to fly when the container is opened, wherever that is.  At the BIP or back at the beekeeper's premises.  As far as the EU procedure goes, we are wide open to SHB getting in.

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## mbc

> As far as the EU procedure goes, we are wide open to SHB getting in.


Certainly as things stand.
No one's keen to make any changes either, unless we make ourselves squeaky cogs as beekeepers.

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## prakel

Over the last twelve months I've personally looked very carefully at the regs with regard to EU imports. All they show at present is that someone higher up the food chain needs to change things or take responsibility for any SHB/disease incursion missed by not thoroughly checking the imports in a prompt manner. If the funding to do so can't be found then the alternative solution becomes clear.

edit: allowing hitch-hikers into Herefordshire after a channel crossing can't be right. Shame that the BBC didn't show the bio-security measures which were then implemented to deal with those unlicensed hitchers.

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## Bumble

> Maybe, just maybe, we can get some of the illegality out of beekeeping.  Those who import illegally, produce false or meaningless certificates, that kind of thing.  One advantage of a campaign as you describe is that raises awareness of the problem, and *puts pressure on traders to comply with recommendations and regulations*.  Perhaps it will also give people evidence to take some dodgy characters to the courts.
> 
> I would like to see someone (beekeeping organisations perhaps, BBKA probably excluded given their record) put up rewards for anyone supplying evidence that leads to a conviction for evading bee trade requirements.  Yeah, OK .....


As it stand even the recommendations and regulations for nucs are largely worthless because there is nobody, or no organisation, willing to enforce them. A local BKA is a bunch of volunteers who can't do a thing other than commiserate. FERA, even if the inspector sees a new nuc is riddled with DWV, won't intervene between trader and customer. Trading Standards doesn't understand the recommendations and regulations.

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## Pete L

> FERA, even if the inspector sees a new nuc is riddled with DWV, won't intervene between trader and customer. Trading Standards doesn't understand the recommendations and regulations.


Because it is not their job, and they don't have the authority to do so, with regards nosema,chalk brood, sac brood,DWV, varroa etc, but if it is for a notifiable disease, then they can and will certainly do something about it, that is their job.

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## gavin

Brings it home what is happening in Calabria .... and what could happen here. From www.federapi.biz

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## Adam

As a member of the BBKA, I don't understand the wooly response either .....

With regard to compensation, my membership of BDI means that I get some sort of compensation for AFB/EFB etc - so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that some beekeepers in other countries have insurance to cover destruction by the authorities ?

However , for the time being, compensation should be paid in Italy to help flush out the colonies that have SHB with the intention of elliminating it. There's been a lot of anguish amongst the beekeepers who have so far had their apiaries destroyed - so a thorough attempt at removal of SHB should be tried or their loss will be for naught.

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## Duncan

You are talking about two compleltly different things.  BDI covers you.  I doubt if there are any state schemes that cover compensation when colonies are destroyed.  The point that I have attempting to make in the last couple of posts and got a rather unhelpful response.  Makes one wonder if it is really worth contributing to the discussion.

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## Black Comb

Well there is a page devoted to this in November edition of BBKA news. Again no mention of lobbying for an import ban on bees, just restricting fruit, veg. and plant materials from the infected zone.

The article states that the NBU in England & Wales have traced all of the packages ( approx. 600) imported from Italy (no time period mentioned) and they are all clear. This is at least positive news. Is the same exercise being carried out in Scotland, bearing in mind all those packages we saw on TV recently?

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## mbc

> Well there is a page devoted to this in November edition of BBKA news. Again no mention of lobbying for an import ban on bees, just restricting fruit, veg. and plant materials from the infected zone.


An absolute disgrace, we can be sure the argument to keep channels open will be being whispered furiously in to all the right ears by those with a vested interest, while major associations only pay lip service to actually doing anything meaningful to help protect the wider beekeeping public.  Shambles!

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## James O

COLOSS seem to think that SHB is in permanent residence in Italy.

http://www.coloss.org/announcements/...edium=facebook

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## busybeephilip

I'm afraid that I would agree.  Although as it moves further north the colder weather, esp ours, will slow the reproductive cycle down so should be easier for us to deal with the pest when and if it does arrive in the UK

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## wee willy

They said that about Varroa !
WW 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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## Duncan

Maybe during the winter.  But in the longer days of summer it will do what all living organisms do.....reproduce rapidly.

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## kevboab

Having seen the small article within the latest edition of the scottish beekeeper magazine what exactly is the position of the sba in relation to this pest. Are we pushing for a ban on imports or is it a case of waiting until it arrives before anything is done.

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## gavin

> Having seen the small article within the latest edition of the scottish beekeeper magazine what exactly is the position of the sba in relation to this pest. Are we pushing for a ban on imports or is it a case of waiting until it arrives before anything is done.


Small?!!  :-) 

There is no single agreed position as yet but there have been discussions with Scottish Government representatives (as well as a bee farmer representative) where a range of views were presented, all different ways of reducing the risk of the pest getting here.  The SBA local association secretaries meeting will discuss the issue and the whole membership get a chance to contribute in the afternoon of Sat 15th November.  I'm hoping that many folk will come on that day, that we'll have a good discussion, and an agreed position will emerge. Anyone interested in trying to protect Scotland and the UK from this pest should come along and contribute.

G.

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## kevboab

Absolutely gutted that I have a committee meeting elsewhere that day or I certainly would be attending.

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## greengumbo

New mechanism ?  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte...01.0035.01.ENG

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## prakel

Earlier in the thread mention was made of Hawaii, oddly, I don't remember this kind of slow discussion about what to do about imports from there going on when they first reported SHB in their apiaries. Is that just my memory playing tricks on me?

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## greengumbo

Oh good article Gav by the way !

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## mbc

> Oh good article Gav by the way !


Link?

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## mbc

> They said that about Varroa !


BwwdBUJCIAA84Jv.png

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## wee willy

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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## fatshark

> Small?!!  :-) 
> 
> There is no single agreed position as yet but there have been discussions with Scottish Government representatives (as well as a bee farmer representative) where a range of views were presented, all different ways of reducing the risk of the pest getting here.  The SBA local association secretaries meeting will discuss the issue and the whole membership get a chance to contribute in the afternoon of Sat 15th November.  I'm hoping that many folk will come on that day, that we'll have a good discussion, and an agreed position will emerge. Anyone interested in trying to protect Scotland and the UK from this pest should come along and contribute.
> 
> G.


Do you know if the BBKA are doing similar? I'm writing something for our local association, but we're separated by the county system here (England) from the BBKA. I know that the NBU have commented on the accuracy if the BBKA statement on fruit imports (in discussions with friends there) but am not sure how seriously this is being taken.

Are the SBA and BBKA talking about this and likely to reach a joint position or working completely independently?

How many of those ~1800 queens came packed in battery boxes with nurse bees poured on top? 

In the meantime I've bought 150 square feet of black Correx to saturate the market with my patented SHB trap 😃 Any spare is going to carpet my apiary.

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## gavin

GG - looks interesting.  I'll go through that more carefully when I have more time.

Prakel - I suppose Hawaii is far away, not part of a free trade area, easily isolated.  What we are dealing with now could be in France, Germany, or even the UK already.  You can't drive a car or truck onto a train or ferry on Hawaii and be in the UK a couple of hours later too so unregulated trade is a lot less likely.  

Folks, the slow response to this threat is disappointing but comes about because there are differing views on how to handle this, no real clarity as to exactly the scale of the problem we're dealing with, and no appetite for agreeing a position for an organisation by email discussion rather than face to face discussion.  There is also a lot of benefit in agreeing a position with the members given that strong action will be contentious and would upset some people.  If there is a strong mandate from the membership that also adds strength to any position the SBA adopts in discussions with officialdom.  Some other organisations jumped early on to a position without thinking too deeply, hence the ridiculous position of a major UK association declaring that Italian fruit and veg will be infested but bees from there are going to be no problem at all (no doubt I've quoted them wrongly).  What does the ordinary BBKA member think anyway, has anyone asked them?

There is another meeting with SG representatives a week or two after the SBA Council meeting, so having the settled will of the membership known by then will be a good thing.

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## gavin

> Are the SBA and BBKA talking about this and likely to reach a joint position or working completely independently?


I think that it is fair to say that the SBA are - largely - incredulous that the BBKA can come out with such a statement.  Two senior folk were encouraged to challenge the BBKA position and I guess I'll find out what the outcome of that was early in the day on 15th.  I don't see any prospects of a joint position which is sad as unity will be important if there is to be concerted UK-wide action.

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## mbc

> Folks, the slow response to this threat is disappointing


To be fair I don't think much bee stuff has been imported from Italy since the discovery of shb there.  The deadline for protective measures to be put in place is next spring.

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## gavin

> Link?


Here it is, written 13 October:

*Small Hive Beetle in Europe*

Gavin Ramsay

Europe now has the established small hive beetle outbreak it has been fearing since the first discovery away from sub-Saharan Africa, in the US in 1998.  In that time Europe has raised barriers to the import of bees in an attempt to keep this pest out, first to mainland US, then Australia and subsequently Hawaii too.  Given that this pest can spread quickly via the trade in bees, the strategy prior to its discovery in Italy has been to stop importation from wide areas once the pest was discovered.  In general that strategy worked, but now that the beetle has appeared on mainland Europe will we, in the UK, take the same line with imports or will we continue to import bees from our EU partners but with measures to slow the spread of the pest?  It is striking how successful the campaign has been to keep Colorado potato beetle out of the UK.  Can we achieve the same success with small hive beetle?

At the time of writing the Italian National Reference Laboratory for Beekeeping at IZS in Venice has declared that 23 apiaries in Calabria have the small hive beetle and Italian beekeeping websites are saying that 1,500 colonies have been destroyed.  The cases are in an area almost 20km across in the vicinity of the port of Gioia Tauro (see the map from IZS in Venice*).  At present it is not known with certainty whether the beetles came with shipping or another source.  Italian beekeepers suspect that it may have come from Egypt, a country with much trade with southern Italy and itself reputed to have had small hive beetle, though surveys there failed to re-find it.

With, apparently, most apiaries in the main affected area in Calabria found to have beetles, and evidence of their reproduction at several sites, it seems likely that the pest has been in the area for some time.  Add to that two more factors and you can see the difficulties for containment: migratory beekeepers come into the area for the extensive citrus crops, and there are suppliers of queens and nuclei in the heart of the area and affected by the outbreak.  At least one is in the main affected area and is likely to be the site recorded with a high number of colonies.  The Italian authorities have indicated their pessimism about containment, and the facts so far suggest that they were right.

What now?  It is imperative that the dogma of free trade within the EU does not compromise the health of bees in the UK.  Recent imports from Italy are on a huge scale, with over 1700 queens and 1200 packages coming into the country.  A table from BeeBase shows the scale of imports from across Europe: a real indictment of the lack of true sustainability of some of the beekeeping in the UK.  There is no proper reason why the UK should not generate all the bees it needs, even in poor seasons, as long as the quality of beekeeping is good enough to reduce losses to a manageable level.  

Like _Varroa_, there seems to be a real likelihood that the pest will spread well ahead of our ability to detect it.  In the case of _Varroa_ it is can be present locally for 2-3 seasons before beekeepers are aware of its presence.  Will small hive beetle be any different?  For that reason, we need to be particularly careful drawing lines on maps showing apparently clear and apparently infested regions.  Restrictions on trade in live bees need to be designed bearing in mind this uncertainty.  In the coming year we will, no doubt, develop a much clearer picture of where in Europe the beetle has already spread.  Until then we need to be pressing for the maximum protection for the health of our bees, and for measures that reduce alternative means of spread of the beetle in bee products, fruit and other possible means of spread.  That protection must include a cessation of imports from Italy and a very careful look at the risks of small hive beetle coming into the UK from other sources.

* a copy of the 14th October map was printed from here, with acknowledgement: http://www.izsvenezie.it/index.php?o...ing&Itemid=893

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## gavin

Since writing that the relative risk from some other European countries has changed.  For example, a leader of an Italian beekeeping organisation stated at a conference that 10,000 queens had gone from there all over Italy and into the centre of France.  One in Piedmont said that there were beekeeping links between Piedmont and Calabria.  Some folk say that queen cages are low risk, but the import into Portugal seems to have been of eggs that were laid in/on queen cages banked in larger colonies and that must be a common practice amongst the larger queen producers.

The area covered by the outbreak is now about the same as Greater Glasgow, so it seems unlikely this is a one-season outbreak.

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## Black Comb

Gavin
Any news on what the Scottish bee inspectors are doing re. this?
Are they inspecting known imports?

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## gavin

There was certainly time spent checking up on the N Italy package imports that largely went to the bee farmers. 

Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

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## Jon

SHB has now been detected in Sicily.

http://www.mieliditalia.it/index.php...11-10-08-29-19

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## gavin

Oh, my!  That's the eastern half of Sicily now covered by the 100km movement ban.  

http://www.izsvenezie.it/images/stor...om100km-EN.pdf

Sicily is a big producer of queens.

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## Rosie

It looks like the new outbreak was outside the original 100k movement ban. It points to the fact that no movements are safe, especially from Italy.

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## Jon

If we can keep SHB out of the uk this is an opportunity for those of use who support UK based queen rearing.
The challenge is to produce enough to meet demand, or better still encourage beekeepers to produce a few of their own.

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## prakel

Just seen these two Italian SHB/Hive inspection videos posted on biobee forum:

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## prakel



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## Pete L

> Just seen these two Italian SHB/Hive inspection videos posted on biobee forum:


The second one has already been posted earlier in this thread.

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## prakel

These things happen sometimes in a long thread.

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## fatshark

I'm discussing SHB at our association meeting tomorrow … does anyone know how many Q's are in a "batch". Beebase records something like 1760 batches imported from Italy this year and I see that G. has a figure of 3000 Q's on the SBA Bee Health webpages. Is a batch of queens anything from 1 to a battery box full? 

Those battery boxes give me the creeps … 50+ caged queens in a box with workers poured on top. What does the importer do with all those workers when they're taking out the caged Q's to pop into 5 frame nucs for sale? 

Answers on a postcard please … but I suspect it's "Shake the out".

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## Duncan

Of course the discovery of the SHB in Italy is of great concern to all of us.  But I think it is important to keep some basic facts in mind.  This is not Varroa that could easily hitch a ride on the back of a bee.This is not Varroa that can reproduce/spread from a single female.  This a  beetle and can't just latch on to some bees and move around the EU.  Several individuals would have to be imported for it to create a viable breeding population and even then, if the number was say below 50, it would encounter inbreeding problems very quickly.  So, I say that the importation of apicultural hardware such as nucs should be banned for obvious reasons.  Same for second-hand apicultural equipment.  Queen bee imports pose the least risk - especially from outside the designated area.  Fruit and potted plants are higher risk.

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## gavin

> I'm discussing SHB at our association meeting tomorrow … does anyone know how many Q's are in a "batch". Beebase records something like 1760 batches imported from Italy this year and I see that G. has a figure of 3000 Q's on the SBA Bee Health webpages. Is a batch of queens anything from 1 to a battery box full?


The 3000 figure was previously given on BeeBase but it was then altered down to the 1760 figure if I remember right.  I know it says 'Batched queens' but I'm just assuming that number to be the total number of (recorded) queens.

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## mbc

> Queen bee imports pose the least risk - especially from outside the designated area.  Fruit and potted plants are higher risk.


Seeing as the only previous incursion into Europe, the Portuguese case, was from imports of queens, history, common sense and even a little knowledge of the beetles life cycle(gravid eggs) and previous examples of insects laughing in the face of genetic bottlenecks- Asian hornets ring a bell?- would suggest that this is nonsense.
Do you have a vested interest in continuing queen imports? or is there some other reason you are trying to spread this disinformation?

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## Jon

Malta has decided to take action and ban imports from S Italy.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles...stopped.544790

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## gavin

A letter published by Apitalia (in Googlitalian):

The emperor has no clothes? 
  [ Back to index ]



 _When  beekeepers take pen and paper and decide to make their voices heard to  say that things in beekeeping are taking a really bad turn._ _We receive this letter by Ermanno and for the record we publish._ _The people whom the complaint will have the same space to assert their considerations._ _Critics,  on the other hand, is not a word that has a negative connotation, but  the activity of thought engaged in the interpretation and evaluation of a  fact, of an action._ 

*The emperor has no clothes?* 

  I read the letter of the FAI entitled "Cockroaches and FAI Calabria" published by apitalia, and makes me smile. 
   Sure you are putting in doubt the credibility and capacity of  institutions (and Associations) have been committed so many and such  errors, which even amateurs could have done worse, at least this is my  thought.  Moreover, it is full right of citizens to criticize the institutions if they believe that they do not do their duty.   Criticism is not a word that has a negative connotation, but the  activity of thought engaged in the interpretation and evaluation of a  fact, of an action. 
   By the President of the Republic, to the Council, until the last  Ecological Operator of the country, are all employees of Italian  citizens.  They are paid with the money of Italian citizens, and they are accountable. 
  Once there was the king, and as long as everyone believed it to be of Divine origin, no one breathed.  It took a naive child because everyone woke up, open their eyes and saw that the king was naked.  Only one child had had the courage to say it.  Today, there are institutions, but the story is the same.  If you're wrong, you have to have the courage to say it.  They, of course, the right of reply.  Bread Pane e Vino al Vino. 
   Someone is trying to sell the idea that Italians if you reform work,  create jobs: jobs are created when demand increases, and when demand  increases companies are not afraid to take on.  Someone wants to make a drawing to Renzi to explain that, if a company does not have orders, but does not assume fires?  Then we'll make one to explain how to do it to increase demand. 
   Someone wants to explain to the institutions intervened in Calabria  that a cordon sanitaire is such only if it is physically impossible to  cross it?  Or just write a piece of paper that says "it is forbidden to move apiaries" because they do not move? 
  We want to make a small list of the errors that have been made in Calabria? 

  1. The news of the discovery of an outbreak has been put on the internet without FIRST had prepared a plan of action. 
  2. The decree prohibiting the handling of the apiaries arrived very late. 
  3. It was not set up any cordon sanitaire. 
  4. They have been called to work without any veterinary expertise beekeeping. 
   5. E 'used the fire, when there were alternatives (sulfur dioxide, to  name one) that would allow you to save at least hives and honeycombs. 
   6. They were destroyed apiaries in full, and not only the positive  colonies, and this prevented him from understanding the pattern of  spread of the parasite. 
   7. E 'was treated soil indiscriminately, even where they were not found  larvae or hives destroyed by the same: why poison the land, if there  was no need? 
   8. It has not done anything to find the zero point, the origin of  infection: no one bothered even to ask where they arrived parcels bee  purchased in February by a company within the outbreak.   No one bothered to figure out whether other companies, perhaps in other  regions of Italy, had bought parcels bee on the same occasion. 
  9. have been suggested and used traps absolutely unreliable: the SHB shuns the light and has a corrugated transparent?  There are studies on the effectiveness and reliability of the traps.  Let us use them. 
   10. It was requested the support of researchers or entomologists who  had already dealt with the emergency SHB trying to curb it (those  Canadians, who immediately were made available, just as an example ..). 
   11. Veterinarians of neighboring regions, were "invited" to perform the  checks: if you really wanted to eradicate the parasite, it was  necessary to give a peremptory order, do not invite, so much so that the  controls began with two months late. 

  I could go on, but I think the above is already sufficient.  Only one word comes to mind: Improvisation.  It only works when the artists are doing it. 
   I conclude by putting a cherry on the cake: the nuclei trap should be  placed where everything was destroyed and sterilized, have captured more  beetles.  And 'perhaps appropriate to also check some oranges of Gioia Tauro, one of them falls to the ground?  Australia and the Florida SHB not only survives, but you play effectively feeding on oranges.  I spoke Tuesday in Alsace with beekeepers who had worked in Australia for several years.  Nearby was a beekeeper Belga that at some point it is pale and asked me, "but where are the oranges Sanguinello?". 
  To my knowledge, from Sicily.  Why do you ask? "I replied. 
  He said, "Why in Binche, Belgium, to celebrate the carnival, we pull tons of oranges." 
  "Azz.  - I thought - luckily it's cold in February in Belgium.  At least it is usually so .... " 
  Joking aside, to deal with an emergency, we need competent people.  It takes in the institutions, but it also takes in the Associations.   And it is time to stop going in no particular order: serves one  national association, which groups the regional (one per region) divided  by districts. 
  The bees are neither right nor center, nor left.  The parties do not exist anymore, Let us explain also to beekeepers.  And the presidents of associations. 
  The King is naked?  I think so.  Someone explain it to Cirone.  With sympathy.



  (By Ermanno De Chino - 11/21/2014)

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## fatshark

The BKF has a thread on a proposition (_Following the discovery of Small Hive Beetle, Aethina tumida, (SHB) in Italy in September 2014 this ADM instructs BBKA to urgently seek a ban on the importation of bees and unprocessed bee products into the UK_) tabled by West Sussex BKA for the upcoming BBKA ADM. 

The BBKA Executive Committee response is included in the first post in the thread. They do not support the proposition.

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## Jon

You have to wonder how the BBKA manages to get on the wrong side of almost every argument related to beekeeping.

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## Black Comb

Just read our ADM's report of the meeting. It appears the West Sussex proposal was voted through so let's see what the executive does now.

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## Neils

The proposition was passed, we will see where it goes from here.

Ignoring commercial interests that I suspect would drown whatever pressure the BBKA might bring to bear. I do wonder whether "grey" imports subjects to zero checking of any nature actually represent a greater risk over the basic checking in place on "legitimate" imports.

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## Calum

Message:
I would like to remind you to ensure the safe movements of live bees within and into the EU in
view of the onset of the apiculture season in a few weeks, when such movements are more
frequent and especially as small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) was discovered in Italy last year.
Anecdotal information suggests that movements of live bees (especially queen bees) is prone to
illegal movements, therefore full awareness of the risks posed by those and cooperation of
beekeepers and other stakeholders is crucial in preventing the spread of small hive beetle.
For imports, the correct implementation of Articles 7 and 13 of Regulation (EC) No 206/2010
require cooperation and timely interaction between Border Inspection Posts and the final place
of destination for consignments and, even more importantly, between local veterinary
authorities (including specialist laboratories) and the beekeepers or importers. This cooperation
is also important when the final destination of the incoming consignments is in a different
Member State than the border inspection post of arrival which carries out the relevant import
checks.
For trade, the relevant provisions of Directive 92/65/EEC apply. It is possible that the measures
provided for in Commission Implementing Decision 2014/909/EU of 12 December 2014
concerning certain protective measures with regard to confirmed occurrences of the small hive
beetle in Italy (OJ L 359 16/12/2014, p. 161) will cause different trade and import flows
compared to previous years.
In recent years several measures were taken to improve the bee health knowledge and the
technical capacity of the EU and the veterinary services for implementation of the rules. These
measures included, amongst others, the establishment of an EU Reference Laboratory (EURL)
for bee health and its network of national reference laboratories, the training in bee health of
hundreds of officials participating in workshops in the framework of Better Training for Safer
Food and the revamping of the Commission's bee health page, which you can access at:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/liv...s/indcx_en.htm
In addition, the EURL has also developed visual material for easier recognition of the small
hive beetle (bttps : //sites. anses .fr/en/svstem/files/SHB%20For %2öbeekeepers_2 .pdf ).
In general, the current situation implies higher risks than in the past, but I believe this time we
are better prepared and equipped to prevent new introductions and further spread of the small
hive beetle in the EU.
I count on your coordinated efforts in this regard.
Bernard Van Goethem EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY Directorate G - Veterinary and International Affairs Director


F ALL HELP

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## Adam

> Just read our ADM's report of the meeting. It appears the West Sussex proposal was voted through so let's see what the executive does now.


I haven't yet seen a "BBKA Calls for a Ban on Bee Imports" in any of the 'papers yet.....

Amendment : However the report of the ADM (p106) states that the executive "does not consider it to be appropriate to seek ... a ban" 

http://www.bbka.org.uk/files/library...1417000965.pdf

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## Wmfd

> I haven't yet seen a "BBKA Calls for a Ban on Bee Imports" in any of the 'papers yet.....
> 
> Amendment : However the report of the ADM (p106) states that the executive "does not consider it to be appropriate to seek ... a ban" 
> 
> http://www.bbka.org.uk/files/library...1417000965.pdf


One option is to do what a lot of executives do in this position when they disagree with the people they are supposed to represent, organisationally ignore it.

This usually involves silence, arguing the meaning of the proposition, arguing why even if they did do something it wouldn't make a difference, reinterpreting it to suit their existing view, establishment of a sub-committee to discuss the proposition and the appropriate response, .... repeat until no longer required or appropriate.

I'm sure the BBKA wouldn't do that.  We must be about to hear, since the proposition did mention BBKA should "urgently seek a ban" and it has been passed.

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## gavin

Reading through that was interesting, not just the EC response to the members' wishes on small hive beetle as voted on at the main opportunity for democracy in the organisation, but several other examples too.  I think all beekeeping members organisations should be looking at the mechanisms they have for assessing members' wishes and also how they use that guidance to prepare themselves for rapid decision making.  Otherwise you just end up with an elite making their own decisions and then later trying to rebuff criticisms from the membership that they've been ignored.  I suspect that there is a tendency in that direction in most beekeeping organisations, but the BBKA seem to be masters at it.

So - for BBKA members - what now?  Will they just sit back and accept the organisation's 'official' view on SHB and imports?

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## Wmfd

Yes it does seem an odd position given the comment in the very text that the EC quote: 
_"While introduction of SHB via fruit has been assessed as a possible pathway, the most likely (i.e. highest risk) route of entry to the UK is still considered to be via movement of honey bees: queens and packaged (worker) bees for the purposes of trade."_ 

The EC of BBKA are getting themselves into the position of second guessing the legal position, rather than representing the members views.  Yes, it may not *currently* be easy to get a ban because of the rules, but that isn't a reason for saying nothing - which is implicitly accepting the reasonableness of those rules and not pushing for change.

What can BBKA members do?  As you say, this was the route for democracy and the organisation's view is that it should "urgently seek a ban".  It is unfortunate that this doesn't seem to be being followed, it can't help BBKA's efforts to get more members involved when it doesn't appear (as yet) to be representing their wishes.

Given in the main part in England we're members of associations that are themselves members of the BBKA, it all feels somewhat removed to me.

Is it any different north of the border?

David

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## gavin

> Yes it does seem an odd position given the comment in the very text that the EC quote: 
> _"While introduction of SHB via fruit has been assessed as a possible pathway, the most likely (i.e. highest risk) route of entry to the UK is still considered to be via movement of honey bees: queens and packaged (worker) bees for the purposes of trade."_


Contrast that statement with this from the third of three Press Releases from the BBKA where they continue to play down the risks from bee movements and indicate that they are more worried about fruit and plants:

'However, it is important to understand that the greatest risk of undetected entry of SHB into the UK is not likely to be with honeybees but in imported fruit, vegetables and other plant materials. '

It hardly inspires confidence.  I suppose that from a position of total trust in the effectiveness of official measures and the total lack of any dodgy dealings in the bee trade industry, that might be justifiable.  But who believes either of those? 

You are absolutely right about second guessing the legal position.  That should not be the function of members' organisations, they should be pressing for action (any legal action) that protects their members' interests and wishes.  Without any push at all (or with only a push from one corner of the UK) the regulators see no point in being inventive.

The SBA is more directly a members' organisation and jetisoned the system of government (and membership) via local associations aeons ago, before I was a beekeeper.  So the leaders are more directly in touch with the membership at annual meetings, but in my humble opinion it has not been that good at asking for, listening to and acting upon the members' wishes.  It could be better at it.  Folk probably feel more in touch with the SBA as there are business meetings twice a year to which ordinary members are welcome, and most of those at the top table do go round the local associations giving talks and making visits.  We also have a number of other events through the year where members can get involved and mix with some of those making decisions.  Maybe that goes on too south of the border, I'm not sure.  In some ways the BBKA is in a different position as it has a much larger membership which means a democratic approach and engagement with the membership is harder.  However that ADM report seems to show an organisation that doesn't look to its membership to guide its policies in any way.

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## Jon

If people are going to import packages from Southern Italy we will have SHB this year for sure. There is no way a health cert can 100% guarantee lack of beetles in a package. Health certs typically involve very little. A check for foulbrood in the exporting apiary, sometimes samples taken for nosema testing. Those who claim that a health cert guarantees healthy disease free bees are being disingenuous. A health cert will tell you nothing at all about virus or virus loads in the bees you are importing.

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## Wmfd

> Contrast that statement with this from the third of three Press Releases from the BBKA where they continue to play down the risks from bee movements and indicate that they are more worried about fruit and plants:
> 
> 'However, it is important to understand that the greatest risk of undetected entry of SHB into the UK is not likely to be with honeybees but in imported fruit, vegetables and other plant materials. '
> 
> It hardly inspires confidence.


No, it all seems contradictory.





> You are absolutely right about second guessing the legal position.  That should not be the function of members' organisations, they should be pressing for action (any legal action) that protects their members' interests and wishes.  Without any push at all (or with only a push from one corner of the UK) the regulators see no point in being inventive.


Yes, it is surprising what can be done by regulators and legislators when the pressure is on. Suddenly things that were impossible are achieved through creative thinking, or simply saying 'sod the rules' as the French did (although presumably in French) with BSE.




> The SBA is more directly a members' organisation and jetisoned the system of government (and membership) via local associations aeons ago, before I was a beekeeper.  So the leaders are more directly in touch with the membership at annual meetings, but in my humble opinion it has not been that good at asking for, listening to and acting upon the members' wishes.  It could be better at it.  Folk probably feel more in touch with the SBA as there are business meetings twice a year to which ordinary members are welcome, and most of those at the top table do go round the local associations giving talks and making visits.  We also have a number of other events through the year where members can get involved and mix with some of those making decisions.  Maybe that goes on too south of the border, I'm not sure.  In some ways the BBKA is in a different position as it has a much larger membership which means a democratic approach and engagement with the membership is harder.  However that ADM report seems to show an organisation that doesn't look to its membership to guide its policies in any way.


That does sound a better structure, and they sound like they are trying.  I haven't heard of ordinary member meetings here, maybe they just don't invite me.  ;-)

To be fair to the BBKA, it is always going to be harder for people to feel engaged with a much larger organisation, but that should mean being more responsive when the membership is clear in its view.

David

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## fatshark

> If people are going to import packages from Southern Italy we will have SHB this year for sure.


I fear that you could extend this to imports from the places that either overwintered their bees in Southern Italy or imported nucs from Southern Italy last year. There was clearly a long period when the beetle went unnoticed … if it's already in Germany or France, for example, then the horse has already bolted.

We've been over this ground before and there appears little movement from the national associations. The BBKA stance is particularly disappointing. Previous importations have, I believe, all been with bees or bee products. NBU analysis indicates that bees/equipment/products are the real threat (risk analysis posted elsewhere in this thread).

I was fortunate to again hear Michael Palmer give his _Sustainable Apiary_ talk this weekend … what he preaches should and could be expanded to cover a entire country.

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## Jon

Locally the export health cert  involves a check for foulbroods, mite levels and not much more. Our Department in NI where samples are sent (AFBI)can also check for nosema and acarine.
Noone is going to be looking at virus and even the known viruses often have a series of variants which will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
I wonder how much time and effort a place like Greece, a major exporter of bees and queens, is likely to be investing in export checking.
May well have other priorities at the moment.

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## Wmfd

http://www.bbka.org.uk/files/pressre...1424684197.pdf

Looks like the BBKA aren't convinced by health certificates either.

I don't know whether to laugh - they seem to be moving, albeit slowly.

Or cry - this isn't a surprise and we still don't have a statement in line with the ADM.

David

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## Adam

My guess is that IF the BBKA can get around to a press release, most of the 'papers will print it along with  'all bees are dieing' and the oft-quoted bit from Einstein. There'll probably be something in there from one 'paper mixing up neonicitionods as well. Any bet on which one it will be? The publicity might even wake a politician up from their pre-election stupor....

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## madasafish

> My guess is that IF the BBKA can get around to a press release, most of the 'papers will print it along with  'all bees are dieing' and the oft-quoted bit from Einstein. There'll probably be something in there from one 'paper mixing up neonicitionods as well. Any bet on which one it will be? The publicity might even wake a politician up from their pre-election stupor....


Pre election stupor?

I take it you are referring to the 2020 GE as nothing is going to happen for this year and  next year depending on the composition of whomever forms the new Government..  in my view..

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## drumgerry

Not sure whether this is moderator policy or not but we tend to keep most general political stuff out of this forum.  Something which I'm quite happy with.  Even at the height of the referendum campaign we managed to keep schtum about what was going on.  I'm sure all of us could debate the ins and outs of the coming election till the cows come home but there are plenty of non beekeeping venues in which to do so.

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## gavin

It is certainly a good principle to avoid political discussions wherever possible on fora like this.  My comment on the referendum was this one, designed to promote reconciliation and understanding after a heated few weeks off the forum:

http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/sh...tomorrow-comes

Occasionally someone shows religious, racial or political intolerance.  That is certainly something we don't want to see on here - it would either be taken down by the original poster after a nudge, or by one of the team.

In case anyone is wondering what happened to the queen and nuc rearing discussion in this thread I 'hived' (sorry!) it off to here:

www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/showthread.php?1918-Was-SHB-Now-more-queen-and-nuc-raising

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## drumgerry

I'm glad I missed that referendum thread.  There's some stuff on there I would have taken issue with in the aftermath.

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## gavin

I was sorry to have started it after a bit.  Anyway .... SHB ....

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## drumgerry

Fair enough Gavin I'll stop talking about not talking about politics!

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## fatshark

From the BBKA's _Worker Bee_ newsletter 

All_Mailboxes__Found_141_matches_for_search_.jpg

 actually, worse than underwhelming   :Frown:

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## Jon

In some quarters the emphasis seems to be on dealing with the beetles when they arrive as opposed to taking measures to prevent their arrival.
An acceptable compromise might be to allow queens, subject to very careful inspection, but ban any form of package or nuc.
With regard to Italy itself, noone will know until late spring how far the beetles have spread. With luck they are still in the initial area of infestation but they could be far further afield by now.
The health cert does not even cover a plethora of existing bee pathogens anyway let alone SHB.

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## Adam

_"In some quarters..."_ Correction.. "In ALL quarters..."

A health certificate for an export is a legal requirement in any case so the advert that Worker Bee is referring to is saying nothing.

I noted that Worker Bee did not state that due the members demands for an importation ban as voted on at the last ADM that the BBKA was now calling for one; lobbying the government and would be putting out a press release and alerting the media. (And calling for more government funding)..

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## fatshark

What's particularly disappointing is that they didn't even take the opportunity to voice their opposition to imports generally … this email will have gone to the new crop of enthusiastic young beekeepers. These are the ones desperate for bees having trained over the winter. Arguably they're also the least likely to find any 'passengers' in their colonies (though I fully accept that even beekeepers with many years experience are often poor at identifying pathogens and disease). The Sussex BKA proposal was supported at the ADM got a brief mention in last months newsletter (a very brief mention). 

 :Frown:

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## Jon

The UBKA has also someone going round the associations telling them how to deal with beetles when they arrive.
The Native Irish Honeybee Society (NIHBS) is clear in its call for a ban on imports to the island of Ireland.
Contact has been made with ministers north and south of the border but there seems to be no appetite anywhere to take any measures.

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## fatshark

It's interesting (for which, read 'depressing') that when I talk at associations and discuss the risk of SHB importation I've yet to meet a 'rank and file' member who isn't concerned at the apparent lack of action by the national associations. Of course, it's only an interested subset of members that attend winter association talks …

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## prakel

Chris Slade's latest bee blog (April 12. 2015):




> A dozen of us were there in time to eat our picnic lunches and natter for a while before officially starting.  The short straw had been handed to Martin Hann, the local Bee Inspector who had spent the last week being updated by his (ex FERA but I cant remember their current name) organisers at Sand Hutton near York.  I informed Martin that because FERA has been sold off by the Government I have deranged my data on Bee Base.
> 
> He was full of cheerful news, for instance, although spotting invaders is a priority, their eventual success is regarded as inevitable.  Asian hornets are causing much more concern than Small Hive Beetle.  Bees can live with the latter but will be wiped out by the former.
> 
> He went into some detail about how they act and how they can be trapped in fizzy drink bottle traps. Unfortunately these work best when youve somehow caught a hornet and put it in the trap so that it can, pheromonally, attract sisters.  I write sisters but they may be even more closely related than that as DNA test have revealed that all the (in season) millions of Asian hornets are descended from, at most, 2 queens!
> 
> With regard to the Small Hive Beetle, Martin revealed that the Italians have, so far, destroyed about 3,500 hives, but that annually tens of thousands of hives are moved in and out of that area from Austria and thereabouts, which is worrisome.
> 
> https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...90491159,d.d2s


What I'm failing to understand is if the 'Ministry' are so certain that a beetle invasion and eventual success is inevitable AND that it's not going to be that big a deal once they're established, why does the threat of total destruction still hang over our colonies?

A bit of a mixed message being presented here which might well leave some people making a few wrong decisions when it comes to picking up the phone.

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