Both Bob and Waldemar asked about queen wing clipping in organic rules.

EU organic rules are not only made to guarantee a clean product witout 
residues.

Sustainable production and allowing animals their natural behaviour are 
important too. Organic cows and chickens must be allowed to go to pastute. 
Pigs have moore room than normally. I guess the wing clipping was denied 
because of these reasons. I clipped all before but stopped last year. I 
think that if I would clip the wings from just some queens and would get 
cought,  all my honey would be dropped from organic status.

I used to clip because of breeding work. If paint faded away I still knew 
from clipped wing that the queen was the one I put into the hive.

Sustainability shows in demanding only wooden hives, no plastic boxes.

Inspection cost depend on how big the operation is. Normally 200 - 500 euro/ 
year.

 PPM value are not set for oxalic formic and thymol. Organic rules say that 
these and some others can be used for varroa if national laws allow them to 
be used, which is the case in Finland.

Ari Seppälä
Finland 

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