Hello
There have been a few posts on organic: honey, beekeeping, food, living,
etc. But what is organic? One answer is raising food without the use of
chemicals.  There have been volumes written on the subject.  Among the
organic purists all chemicals are evil. I don't believe that.  I would
prefer to grow my tomatoes in compost enriched soil rather than using
chemical fertlizer, but I use it when it is needed.  It is the overuse or
misuse that causes problems.
 
I agree that natural resistance is better than treatment, but I am not
set up to develop resistant bees.  To sacrifice my bees with the hope
that I will stumble across resistant stock is wrong.
 
In a perfect world we wouldn't need treatment because varroa would still
be in Asia, African bees would still be in Africa, and the gypsy moth would
not be in the US.  But this is the real world and we have to deal with
problems the best way we can. If your dog has fleas you give him a bath.
If your child comes home from school with head lice you correct it.  We
don't wait for a better method. If this means treatment then we
must treat. It must be done with care and according to directions.
 
I keep a number of hives at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm.  These
are the people who publish "Organic Gardening Magazine".  One would think
there would be no use of pesticides at this site.  WRONG!  They use
pesticides in their orchard.  The difference is how much they use and
when they apply.  Rather than spraying every two or three weeks on a time
schedule, they spray right when the insect they are trying to eliminate
emerges and begins to show up on the crop.  This is a successful
experiment that, if followed, will save the grower money and time, and
still produce a good crop.  There are lessons to be learned here.
 
 
They have an annual program at the farm.  I participate in this and also
sell honey.  One women asked me if I use "strips" in my hives.  I
explained that I did but not when the bees were making and storing
honey.  Someone had told her that strips were "bad".
 
I do programs for children.  I stress the importance bees are to the
environment and the balance of nature.  We play a game where the kids
take up different roles of bees in the colony.  Some are sent to gather
honey (I use honey sticks) from a pretend flower.  When they bring all
the sticks in the beekeeper comes and checkes the hive.  The first job he
does is to give one honey stick to each "bee", and only if there is any
left he takes some.  This emphisizes the responsibility the beekeeper has
to the bees.
 
Bottom line is we do have a responsibility to the bees.  It doesn't
matter if you have 2 or 2000 colonies.  They are equally important. We
must work together to protect bees if beekeeping is to have a future.
 
One final note.  I don't want to start a political discussion here, but I
am not rich, and I won't be voting for Clinton.  Correct me if I am wrong
but wasn't it the early days of his administration when he stated that
subsidizing the beekeeping industry is a "wasteful use of government
spending". I personally am not for subsidies of any kind by why did he
pick on the beekeeper?
 
These are my opinions and please accept my apology for straying from
BEE-L's main agenda.
 
Ron Bogansky
Milk & Honey Farm
Kutztown, PA USA