I will never forget the feeling I had at a political forum last year when a gentleman asked me about my plans to address the varroa mite issue. I did not know what the varroa mite was, nor did I know what harm they posed. I responded, "I have no idea what a varroa mite is but I will speak to you after the forum to get more information." Well, after the forum I did speak with the individual and was educated about the threat of varroa mites. I was quite concerned and followed up our discussion with some independent research. What I found was pretty scary, and led me to introduce a Council resolution that urged the State to address the varroa mite problem.
As I was surfing the net this evening, I found the following on http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/, Under Breaking News:
"Reseachers say varroa mite spread on Big Island is inevitable"
"In just over a year's time, the varroa mite, a parasite that kills honeybees, has spread from the Hilo Bay area north to Onomea and south to Pahala, researchers say.
And it is not a matter of if, but when, the mites will spread to West Hawaii, said Ethel Villalobos, an entomologist at the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
Although it isn't known how quickly it will happen, Villalobos said it will because bees are naturally on the move seeking sources of pollen, and farmers and beekeepers often move hives, and can unknowingly move a colony infested with parasite."
"The bottom line is: Varroa mites have been all over the world and the mainland for the last 20 years, and it's substantially changed the way agriculture is done on the mainland. It will substantially change the way we do agriculture here," said Richard Johnson, owner of Onomea Orchards and president of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers."
Remember when the coqui frog was brand new to Hawaii? Remember when we didn't think it warranted much attention? Well, the Big Island wishes they addressed the coqui frog back then. Today, the coqui frog is an uncontrollable menace on the Big Island. We must not allow the varroa mite to follow that same track. The varroa mite is much more destructive than the coqui frog. The varroa mite will affect agriculture, and the way we live.
So what next? We must make sure that stay on top of this issue. We must continue to ask our leaders to stay on top of this issue. This mite has to be stopped. And it has to be stopped at all costs.
thanks mel for the resolution and for following up on the story. the varroa mite containment effort will continue to have poor results if lingle continues with her short sighted efforts to cut labor costs at the expense of ag inspectors, invasive species funds and other state funded positions.
ReplyDeletethe kauai beekeepers association is a newly formed community organization of beekeepers, supporters and agricultural stakeholders. as you are well aware, our bees are an important part of sustainable agriculture; the article mentions the value that they have for the pollination of food crops.
our organization has been trying to work w/ state DOA staff to create a first line of defense against varroa infestation. we have some challenges w/HIDOA staff as they are short staff and zero budgeted. we hope to work w/UH folks to train local beekeepers in monitoring hives and setting traps around the harbor areas to create a preventative approach to minimizing an outbreak. the mayor's office has been involved and george costa's OED has been an effective partner in our development. we are trying to build awareness and support for the bees and the role they play in a healthy environment. yes honey is nice but w/weakened colonies the lack of pollination services of our winged friends will have a huge impact on our garden island's food output.
we will be meeting in october to discuss strategies for training, community outreach and education. if folks are interested in learning more about bees or becoming part of the movement to keep kauai varroa mite free, they can contact me at 346 7725 or e.mail jtrujill@hawaii.edu.
mahalo mel for keeping this crucial issue front and center. hope all is well on your travels. malama pono,......jimmy t