I understand authorities are working hard on that
subject. My - a bit vigorous - reaction comes from the
fact I use OA in Canada. Moreover, as I took the way
of transparancy and traceability, this fact is even
clearly decalred on my web site. I invested time and
money to get informed of legal porcedure to apply it
elsewhere, recommandations, safety data sheet, to get
the varrox vaporizer, etc. I adhered to IPM, monitored
varroa each week, treated when needed and when there
were possiby no brood, and so on. So I think I
fallowed the official message and leitmotiv : IPM,
IPM, IPM. This was just before Apistan resistance
here, 2 years ago.

And, in the same time, I am threatened of persecution
if I use OA by the same people promoting alternance in
chemical, IPM et tutti quanti. Since no official
position has been decided, one applies "a zero
tolerance policy". It seems to me this is double - non
consistent - policy. If I were told : " OK, we still
have to work on OA before official aproval, we urge
you to be very careful when using it, but it seems at
first glance there is no major food risk", I woul be
less "over-reactiv". This double policy is like not
having done his homework in due time, but refusing to
endorse responsabilities for beeing late. Some kind of
commmunication mistake, isn't it ?

After last winter losses, I have seen many beekeepers
rushing on different products (AF, thymol, FGMO, AO,
etc.). Applications were not always good (just
considere AF example in Quebec), people were not
familiar with those products, did not take time to
understand their action. I guess some will lose trust
in alternativ products. Finally, this will run against
IPM. If those products would have been known here
before (let say 2 or 3 years), with official methods
of application, people would have had time to use it
on some hives first, ask questions and adapt their
procedure. That is why I think "actual zero tolerence"
about OA, as mentionned by Allen, is not a reasonnable
policy and is a communication mistake.

Bon courage quand même !!

Hervé

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