Eric writes:
You didn't, however, provide any rationale for differentiating between what
we ought and ought not to do.

Reply:
Basically you keep doing what your doing with exception of the usage of all
various doping/treatments be it IPM or not for pests, predators and
diseases. etc.

* You miss Eric's entire point. He is not asking for a list of practices. We
all know what the practices are. 

* What is the *rationale*? What are the underlying reasons? The reasoning or
principle that underlies or explains a particular course of action, or a
statement setting out these reasons or principles? 

* You may have a clear idea in mind as to what is natural and what is
artificial but can you say what the difference is? Because ultimately it
sounds like: Natural is what YOU like and what you don't like isn't.

* The definition of natural I prefer is "wild". It's easy to understand.
Wild hives are natural, keeping bees with frames isn't. We humans aren't
wild, we are a domesticated species and we have domesticated most of living
creation. 

* We live in artificial environments, depend on fossil fuels for almost
everything we do, are utterly dependent on "the system". The history of
human destruction of wild ecosystems is long and just about complete. 

* The introduction of the African bee into the Americas and the introduction
of the varroa mite into Apis mellifera are just two examples of human
interference and the consequences of unnatural practices.

* Bottom line, however, is there is no going back. Only going forward.
Kneejerk rejection of current practices and blanket condemnations won't get
us far, we have to climb the ladder to something better using the rungs we
are on.

pb

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