By: John Miller
Recently, I engaged with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). I’m trying to understand for North American beekeepers the approach regulating agencies are taking to my perception that it’s worse than we think.
Please find the APHIS response to my questions, as provided by the APHIS public affairs specialist:
What is APHIS doing to prevent the entry of Tropilaelaps mercedesae into North America?
Written response to Question 1 provided by Bob Pfannenstiel, Pest Pathogen Biocontrol Permitting Manager, in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) mission is to safeguard American agriculture and natural resources while facilitating safe trade.
To accomplish the safeguarding part of our mission, we focus our work in two key areas:
- Preventing pests from entering the United States and becoming established
- Fighting back against any pests that do get in
This work spans a wide spectrum of activities, including offshore programs, permitting, port and border inspection, pest identification and mitigation, and smuggling interdiction and trade compliance—as well as pest detection, response, management and eradication programs.
APHIS is aware of the threat posed by Tropilaelaps mercedesae and is taking steps toward preventing its introduction and simultaneously preparing for the possibility that it could move into the United States despite our best efforts to prevent it. Our import regulations do not allow for importation of bees from any countries where T. mercedesae is known to occur. In addition, our policy requires our partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection to search for and address pests of concern, including bees, on incoming cargo and conveyances. Any detected bees are immediately removed and disposed of.
If prevention is not APHIS’ focus, what then is the APHIS’ action plan upon Tropi detection?
Written response to Question 2 provided by Anne LeBrun, National Policy Manager for Domestic Pollinator Pest Programs, in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
APHIS seeks to prevent the entry of T. mercedesae in the U.S. and to simultaneously prepare to respond to the pest in case of its entry. APHIS is drafting a New Pest Response Guideline for Tropilaelaps spp. and aims to complete it this fiscal year. A New Pest Response Guideline is a literature review that summarizes available options for responding to a specific pest. Once complete, APHIS and impacted state(s) will be able to use the New Pest Response Guideline to determine the best course of action if Tropilaelaps sp. is detected in the U.S.
APHIS is also supporting Dr. Samuel Ramsey’s work to learn more about Tropilaelaps mites. Last fiscal year, APHIS initiated a one-year cooperative agreement with the Ramsey Research Foundation for $101,167. We’ve budgeted to continue supporting the research with an additional hundred thousand dollars this fiscal year. Furthermore, APHIS allocated $75,000 to work with Colorado State University to develop a molecular assay for Tropilaelaps spp. that can be adapted for field use to detect Tropilaelaps spp.
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The national survey and pollinator community outreach is also an important part of monitoring pollinator health and ensuring early detection of bee pests. APHIS’ Pest Identification Technology Laboratory hosts ID tools online, such as the Bee Mite ID, to help apiarists and other surveyors detect invasive bees and pollinator pests as early as possible.
I am not a pessimist, or an alarmist. However, I am very alarmed for beekeepers by these responses. There is no example in North American beekeeping of a successful pest/pathogen/parasite response. Let me clarify: We control – to a degree – Varroa. Tracheal mites are around, in places, at times – but no one is treating for Tracheal mites. With basic beekeeping skills, American Foulbrood is in the rear-view mirror. What is emerging is unhealthy brood odor – which a well-trained nose can sniff out in a hurry, smelling a malodorous hive even before opening a hive.
North American beekeeping is the most mobile beekeeping industry on earth. We are exceptionally good at spreading threats to our own operations.
A few questions:
•When the first North American Tropilaelaps mercedesae (Tropi) detection/admission is made:
○What happens next?
○Who has authority?
○To do what?
•If it’s extermination, history teaches us that beekeepers will secret their hives out of and away from quarantine zones, exponentially expanding Tropi’s range.
•What is the quarantine plan?
•Who administers quarantine plans?
•Who enforces plans?
•What will the treatment free (TF) crowd response be? History repeats itself…
○TF practices will kill hives five times faster ignoring Tropi.
•What will the commercial beekeepers response be? History repeats itself…
○What strange voodoo treatments will emerge?
•In five years, I’m afraid we will have:
○Botched Tropi prevention
○Annual hive losses will exceed 80%.
▪Varroa, Tropi, pathogens, pasture losses – it all piles up.
•Beekeepers will fail the challenge of keeping hives alive.
○There is a tipping point where organism(s) cannot withstand a parasite.
○Beekeepers will discover that point.
•A new supply chain management position will emerge – driven by scarcity.
○The insect pollinated food supply will change for the worse, creating significant supply chain inconsistencies. Globally.
As Gordy Wardell once said: ‘Get ready to eat a lot of corn and rice’.
