> Is it cruelty if every one does not do every possible thing so no bee
suffers?

Bees are always going to have problems, but there is a difference between
setting out an empty hive and waiting for a swarm to move into it on its
own accord, as opposed to obtaining a colony of bees from elsewhere, which
then confers the responsibility for ethical care of that animal.  In the
first case, you are allowing natural evolution to take place; in the
second, you are taking a typically artificially-propagated animal into your
"care."

If you purchased a dog, and due to a genetic flaw it was unable to control
the mange mite, it's hair would start to fall out, and its skin would
become covered with scabs.  The dog would be miserable and suffering.  It
could be cured completely with a simple treatment with a miticide (after
which you'd have the dog neutered so that it didn't pass on its genetic
susceptibility).

Glenn, would you be comfortable watching that dog dog under your care to
suffer a fully-preventable long and painful death due to mites?

Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
530 277 4450
ScientificBeekeeping.com



>
>

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html