Quote from janet
>It is always incumbent upon the beekeeper to define his methods, and his results, in clear and unambiguous detail. Then the listener can make informed choices in their own management.<
I agree with the each person making the descision for themselves and it being incumbent on them to investigate options.  When making blanket statements that something does or does not happen, the definition would need to be just as spicific to say it doesn't happen as if it does.  It is easy to take each individual beekeeper and learn what he does to decide if it is successful and harder to take all beekeepers and pigionhole them into wide catagories.

So if it could be believed that 60 percent of beekeepers use no chemical and the other half use chemicals, you would still end up with what is considered success being all over the board on both sides of the split.

There is probly room for improvement in every operation out there though some do set a pretty high mark already.

The starting point is still probly, "does use chemicals or does not".  From there it can be looked at on a case by case basis.

I don't really take issue except that the number reported says there are a lot of people keeping bees with out using products.  The jump my reasoning takes in reading that is that people don't keep bees unless they get something from it and so the subjective term of doing it successful is a leap of thought that it would not be half of the beekeeper doing it with out some measure of success.

I do not care if someone treats or does not treat.  My opinion is you need to do what works for you and your bees. I am just saying what stuff looks like to me.  I have not treated yet but I may tomorrow.  
Cheers
gww

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