Hi All,
 
Has anyone heard about the guy who was fined by the Texas Dept. of
Agriculture for recommending Mite Solution over the Internet?  At a
recent Catskill Mountain Bee Club meeting, someone mentioned hearing
of an individual giving advice about alternative mite remedies using
something other than Apistan (gasp!) who got fined several hundred
dollars.  I would be interested in any information anyone might have
about this event.
 
<soapbox mode on>
I think that we need as many alternatives to nasty chemicals as we
can get.  Sandoz has a strangle-hold on the bee industry with
Apistan.  Meanwhile our bees are the victims as Varroa Mites build
up a greater resistance to Apistan.  Many commercial beekeepers are
not using the product in the proper manner, because of the
restraints of needing to manage many, many hives.  It just gets too
difficult to open and close hundreds of hives as they move them
around the country following the growing seasons.  It depends on us,
the beekeepers of the US, whether they are hobbyists with 2 hives
(like me) or they are commercial pollinators, honey producers, etc.
with hundreds or thousands of hives, to make the noise in the right
direction.
<soapbox stowed>
 
Thanks for any feedback, comments, answers, or other correspondence.
 
John Sturman
Blue Moon Farm
Lexington, NY
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