Tom Barrett asks if BEE-Lers can tell us that they have managed to use non
Bayvarol/Apistan controls and that their bees have enjoyed continual health.

I think that many on the list have claimed success with non chemical
treatments.  I know of many, probably hundreds who have claimed success with
non chemical treatments of various substances.  Unfortunately, I don't know
of a single one of them that did any control study of the substances.  I do
know that most of them only reported success in the first year of use of the
new material, and after a heavy loss the previous year.  This is to be
expected.  I even called several commercial beekeepers around the country
who had been reported to have had success with non chemical treatments.  In
the second and third year of use of their treatment, I was told that they
had 25-50 percent losses each year.  These losses were as high as would have
been expected if they had not used any treatment.

Can we say the bee colonies have enjoyed continual health?  No.  We don't
even know how to measure colony health.  It is my opinion that we only
visually assess colony condition, not its health.

James C. Bach
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