Beekeepers made it very clear at the national meetings that they did not  
want to hear from me that the most frequent and highest levels of  
contaminants in U.S. wax and pollen, across the board, tend to be  miticides.  
 
For those who argue that commercial beekeepers don't use fluvalinate and  
coumaphos, the breakdown products of these plus some unique contaminants from 
 the breakdown of the 'substitute' chemicals being used (e.g., Amitraz) are 
 routinely showing up.  Unfortunately, we've no data on the risk, if any,  
posed by these breakdown materials.
 
Beekeepers and bee researchers alike have failed to come up with  effective 
ways of controlling mites without the use of chemicals.   We're all to 
blame.
 
I've been told that Burt's Bees now buys wax for its products from  Africa. 
 And, the Turks are selling wax certified to be pesticide free  (they send 
samples to a German lab for confirmation).
 
Best wax I've seen in years was in beehives in Chile from beekeeper who do  
not use the hard miticides.  Pretty, white, and bees thriving.  Didn't  get 
any samples to test, but I'll bet that the miticides levels were low or  
non-existent.
 
Jerry
**************Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the 
grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000005)

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