Lloyd Spear wrote:
>
> Didn't we just hear today that use of Oxalic does not disqualify honey 
> from
> qualification as Organic in a European country?  Doesn't that acknowledge
> that Oxalic is being used and is ok?
The Soil Association (the main UK Organic body) allows the use of :

"Formic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, menthol, thymol, 
eucalyptol, or camphor for the control of varroa, and any veterinary 
treatments which are compulsory under national or community legislation."

As far as I am aware only thymol is available as an approved treatment 
for varroa in the UK (Apiguard)

I believe that Germany have now formally approved OA in solution, but I 
have no knowledge of the situation in other countries on the continent.

So far in the UK OA has been categorised as a "non-medicinal curative 
substance", a sort of recognition that, despite the well established and 
safe use of OA, the cost of formal registration as a medicine will never 
be met by beekeepers or industry.

The Irish authorities take a much more stringent view of these matters, 
and the UK situation could change.

Regards, John Burgess

******************************************************
* Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at:          *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm  *
******************************************************