In a message dated 97-10-13 22:31:59 EDT, [log in to unmask] (curtis spacek)
write:
 
<< As you may have realized the government pays little attention to
 individuals.When individuals band together they suddenly are noticed.If
 all the members of the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Assn. were to
 suddenly pull all their hives from the county and at the same time
 notify all citrus growers in the area that there will be no pollination
 services for hire in that county you would suddenly have a large group
 of people breathing down the necks of all public officials involved in
 this pesticide hazard."Beekeepers on strike" signs could be placed on
 all access roads into the county with a short explanation of their
 plight to discourage others from filling this void.A radical approach?
 YOU BET!! But generally we're all too busy or too lazy too unorganized
 and too divided and distracted by the other problems of daily living
 to make our public servants perform their duties to our satisfaction.
 But as we are Americans,these public servants are there because "we the
 people" created these positions,we fund these positions through donating
 our hard earned money in the form of "taxes",we should not hesitate to
 to remind these servants of the public who they are are ultimately
 responsible to.Their really is no excuse for destroying a mans/womans
 livelyhood without paying reparations for accidental damage caused by
 errant pesticides.You should have been notified with enough advance
 warning to restrict the bees to their hives or remove them from the
 area.When it comes to reigning in our public servants we must be like
 the proverbial roll of John Wayne toilet paper.It is paramount that we
 remember the government's sole purpose is to serve the people,NOT the
 people serve the government.Endeaver to make our founding fathers proud.
 
 
                                            Just another redneck Texan on
 a soap box>>
 
 
Hmmmm....  Might work if there is enough media coverage. Here is another gun
for the battle:
 
The label directions for malathion prohibit application while bees are
foraging. The applicator is legally required to obey the label directions.
Application of malathion during the daytime hours without a monitoring system
to determine when bees are foraging is in violation. A wilful violation is a
criminal act.
 
The applicators know what the label says, and they refuse to check when bees
forage. They would rather evade the directions by notifying beekeepers.
 
Get a camcorder and record the applications in progress. Then show bees
foraging at the same time.
 
Go to the local magistrate and swear out a warrant for the arrest of the
applicators and the directors of the program for wilful, criminal pesticide
misuse. The tape is the evidence. Make sure the media know about this.
 
Of course this presumes you will do the groundwork ahead of time. I would
file freedom of information requests to get the names of the applicators, and
those who are directing the program.
 
We all have to start standing up. We can't keep on running and hiding. I
refuse to move bees or spend all my time chasing to "protect" the bees, when
the label clearly makes the applicator responsible for their protection.
Furthermore, their "end run" around the basic requirement of compliance with
the label, only offers a little protection for the known domestic bees. Wild
honeybees (so important as a possible source of genetically mite resistant
material, bumblebees, solitary bees and unknown honeybee hives are given no
protection at all.  All are important pollinators.
 
[log in to unmask]      Dave Green     Hemingway, SC 29554
The Pollination Scene:   http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html