CBP turns away "killer bees"

After hearing industry lobbyists pine for several years for transfer of plant protection duties back to the USDA, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency continues to burnish its image with the help of public relations. Here is a press release that slid across the inbox today with the headline "CBP takes sting out of shipments with killer bees arriving in Mississippi."

From the release:


Twice within a three-week period swarming bees later identified as aggressive Africanized Honeybees were detected and destroyed by U. S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists in Mississippi ports of entry. The so-called killer bees are a hybrid species known to be more defensive than European honeybees.
The first swarm was found April 26 on a vessel in Gulfport, arriving from Honduras, while the second was discovered on May 14 onboard a ship in Pascagoula that arrived from Jacksonville, Florida. In both cases, CBP agriculture specialists after detection and destruction of the insects, collected samples that were sent to the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson where extensive examination and morphometric testing confirmed them to be the Africanized bee.

These bees are likely to swarm more often, moving from one site to another. They are less selective in finding new homes, and can be found, as in these cases, attaching themselves to any structure that offers some protection from the elements. This type of bees are feared due to the heightened defensive response when the hive feels threatened.

“These are significant intercepts of a dangerous insect that has not yet been established in Mississippi,” said Robert C. Gomez, CBP director of field operations for New Orleans. “Their ability to colonize into an area can cause a problem to humans and animals but can also pose a threat to the beekeeping industry.

“These interceptions highlight the importance CBP places on our agriculture inspection program and in particular the diligence of our agriculture specialists in their ability to recognize and prevent the entry of organisms that could be used for biological warfare or terrorism,” Gomez added.

CBP employs more than 2,000 agriculture specialists who must meet strict educational requirements and receive intensive, scientific-based training developed and administered jointly by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and CBP. Agriculture specialists protect the United States from the threat of invasive pests and diseases with inspection, detection and prevention efforts designed to keep prohibited agricultural items from entering the country.

These items, whether in commercial cargo or with a person entering the United States, could cause serious damage to America’s crops, livestock, and the environment. In fiscal year 2007, CBP agriculture specialists intercepted almost 4,300 prohibited meat, plant materials or animal products each day, including 164 actionable agricultural pests at ports of entry.