Varrao mite bees
Last Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 26, entomologist and bee keeper Dr. Michael Kliks removed a large hive of Varroa miteninfested bees from a pipe flange on the roof of 206 Merchant St., which is literally a stone's throw from where the Superferry was berthed at the time ... and had been berthed for about two weeks.
Our concern is that feral colonies close to any port or airport, such as this one, were to have been removed physically or through the use of attractant or toxicant-baited traps, by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture long ago. If the HDOA is actually conducting active monitoring and surveillance, and if an effective trapping and extermination program is in place, there should be no more feral colonies in the zoosanitary cordon zones around these sensitive facilities. Whatever the HDOA claims to be doing, it is not preventing feral hives from existing in, and swarms from entering into, the sanitary cordon around our ports and airports.
In that the Hawaii Superferry is to begin operations to the Varroa mite free island of Maui and will begin operations to Kaua`i (also free from Varroa mites) I request that the leadership in the House and Senate agriculture committees, together with industry and HDOA representatives make on-site inspections of the current Varroa mite control measures being taken by the HDOA at each of the pier areas of the Port of Honolulu, at Honolulu International Airport, at Wheeler Army Air Base and at other key sites of interisland traffic. Furthermore, it would be prudent that the Agriculture Department educate Hawaii Superferry personnel on the subject of Varroa mite infestation and the millions of dollars in irreparable damage this invasive species will do to Hawai`i's agriculture industry. Lance Holter, Maui group chair, Sierra Club Hawai`i Chapter