-----Original Message-----
From: Chris and Janet Sauer <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Dienstag, 26. Januar 1999 13:45
Subject: Essential oils for varroa, OTHER bee diseases control and human
beings.
 
 
Seems to me that we want to keep our honey pure; despite the good
doctor's
claims that people will find "natural (bio) aroma-honey" attractive.
I'm
amazed that so many people seem to believe in the treatment without
substantial, quantitative results.  What's more amazing, though, is the
suggestion that we sell honey that is contaminated with essential oils.
Are
beekeepers really that free and easy with what's put in the hive during
supering?  If so, this is as big a threat to our industry as any other.
 
 
        Hello dear Chris,
 
    Your above comments are for sure "emotional" ones.
 
    Please read again, more carefully, my last message related to the
use
of essential oils in controlling bee diseases.
 
    In order to give you a better "picture" of this very complex
problem,
please let me give you some more personal comments, as a MD
practicing apitherapy for some years:
 
 
    * there are already too many pollutants in our bee products; of
course,
most of them are under the "risk" concentrations, but they are still
there...
 
    * even if these pollutants will destroy only a couple of hundreds of
cells
from our body, why should this arrive?
 
    * "Apistan & Co". are extremely powerful poisons;
 
    * NEVER, a MD, ND etc. will accept with open and light "heart" the
presence of these poisons in a traditional "pure", "natural" product;
 
    * generally speaking, mass media in many countries is not yet aware
of these chemical treatments most of the "modern" beekeepers are
doing, but can you immagine, my friend, what will happen when they will
start saying that honey has inside so many chemicals, even if this will
be
in very tinmy amounts?!
 
    * unfortunately, many mass media people are looking for "scandals",
and they will be ready to exploit such a "gold mine"; I saw recently in
Germany such a big scandal related to a presumptive death through
botulism of a suckling... Even if the sample with the "accused" honey
was
OK, the scandal continued...
 
    * in my humble opinion, if the beekeepers, world-wide will continue
to
use aggressive, chemical methods to fight bee diseases, we will have
step by step  a decrease in the bee products demand; please have in
mind that this reality with chemical treatments will not stay for ever a
"secret" for the non-beekeepers...
 
    * there are at least a dozen of very effective ways to keep under
control varroa and other bee diseases through alternative methods;
 
    * there are already, world-wide, more and more good
"bio-beekeepers"; it sounds weird... "bio-beekeepers" isn't it?
ALL beekeepers should be 100% "bio"...!
 
    * the essential oils are NATURAL substances; in correct amounts they
will never hurt somebody, on the contrary, it will help to get rid of
many
diseases, or will give just a better respiration.
 
    * if you do not want the essential oils in your products, as
"contaminants", you can do the "aromatherapy" of your bee colonies, as
you do now with your chemical method, AFTER you will collect your
bee products, e.g. late in fall...
 
 
    I do not believe that practicing alternative methods is a "threat"
towards the bee "industry"...
 
    I believe this is the ..salvation!
 
        Keep in touch!
 
 
        Friendly yours,
 
        Stefan Stangaciu, MD, LAcup.
       Constanta, Romania
         [log in to unmask]
         www.sci.fi/~apither
         www.beesting.com