several Mr Oliver snips followed>by my comments

Perhaps if we beekeepers spend more time in educating those
involved, we could get a more representative survey..

>Perhaps if folks gave up on the idea of your government employee as your enemy that this would produce beneficial effects.  I would suggest folks that push the opposite message (often time to mask secondary political agendas) and doing this country and this industry great harm.


It's *destructor*.  And from what I hear, professional beeks in some
European countries are dependent upon the same smuggled miticide that many
US beeks use.  However, as you say, they are ahead of us, and many are
using more sustainable methods.

> I am guessing ???? Charles is asking about the 20+ genetic variation on Varroa.... of which only 2 or 3 are of economic consequence.   My long term question is... are we counting any of the 20 that have no economic consequence and presuming that they do have a negative impact on honeybees?

As far as I can see the Big Picture is that we humans may soon run out of
effective antibiotics able to treat run of the mill infections.  Even a
slight wound or infection may again become a death sentence.  I'd rather
pay more for meat (actually, I already do, buying it locally).

>Some now tagging this as the post antibiotic age.  And yes the consequence individually could be just as you describe.

I'm in complete agreement that this was poorly handled, both for livestock
and for beekeepers.  We needed a phase-in period.

>What can I say.. I know lots of vets and the only way to accomplish this is to remove the money from small animal care. At least locally I have recruited a phd vet/new beekeeper to assist in any necessary legal paperwork if antibiotic are need to treat someone bees.  


For our industry, one of the major honey packers has been making the point
that US honey is no longer the "cleanest" honey in the world.  He's had to
reject many loads due to antibiotic contamination.  All it is going to take
is for an investigative report on this to go viral to really hurt the honey
market.  Remember Alar?

>to toss some s__t into the fan I have made the same conclusion concerning removing any honey house health restriction in regards to producing and selling honey.  The same thing can (and likely will) result to the BRAND of honey when someone gets sick from the unsanitary processing of honey.  I am still not certain what about MINIMUM standards folks do not understand? Imho it is one thing if you produce and consume all of your own product but another if you sell to others.  And basically it only will take one case to hit the news to drive the honey brand right into the ditch for ALL.

Gene in central Texas

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