Stefan Stangaciu wrote:
>     There are already several people which are making a very good living
> from organic beekeeping.
 
I was going to cease in the beating of this quite dead horse, but
had to comment on the organic comments.
I started out organic. I never had a plum on my plum tree. My
apples were wormy, even with traps and all the other organic
tricks. I lost half of my bees to dysentary or mites every
winter.
I talked with a major player in the organic movement and was told
that the results I had were consistant with what to expect. If I
wanted to be organic, I had to raise what would work, so forget
apples unless you accept worms, scale and the like. If you are
going to spray with the approved organic sprays, be prepared to
do more damage to the environment than if I used several of the
chemical pesticides. All this from a knowledgable organic grower.
So I shifted. I use pesticides sparingly-IPM- and harvest plums,
apples, peaches, cherries and worm free corn in Maine. I use less
chemical pesticides than I would organic. I treat my bes with
apistan and have not lost a hive to varroa. T Mites are under
control with crisco patties. Dynsetary is a thing of the past
because I feed with nothing but the White Death, plain sugar, and
the bees winter perfectly. I have not lost a hive to dysentary or
mites over the past four winters.
I wanted to do it organic. It cannot be done unless you are
willing to sacrifice quantity and quality. If so, no problem. But
I have found that most organic true believers are selective in
their beliefs. Stephan uses his bees inappropriately in the
practice of Apitherapy. They are probably in man made hives. He
might use foundation. All are steps away from natural. He has
decided what is natural for him, not the bees.
 
It is the age old problem of man. We look for a simpler age as we
drive our car along the super highway on our way to Walmart and
the supermarket while listening to a great music from our CD.
 
Bill T- who enjoys the fruits of progress since the lifespan of a
typical American at the turn of the last century was in the 40s
and now near 80- with foul air, unclean water, pesticides and
honey from sugar fed bees. If it keeps getting worse we may live
to be 100.
Bath, ME