>The concept of sentinel apiaries, while intriguing, may simply not be cost
effective.

 A network of sentinel apiaries throughout typical
agricultural lands across the country would give us definitive data as to
whether poor colony survival is due to pesticide use, or to something
else.  


At first thought I am confused.   Sentinel apiaries??  Who would run them?
What standards for beekeeping?  When I go to the local meetings I am
astounded at the low level of beekeeping skills.  Not a bad things that's
why theses guys are at meetings,  but the diversity of the groups alone,
and their personal agendas would make this a troublesome concept. In my
mind.  Heck we can't even come to conclusions on queen excluders. Let alone
types of queens,  how many deeps how to overwinter the list goes on...  then
add into that due to a lot of recent writings, probably 75% of the beeks in
my area think winter losses are due to pesticides and "sublethal" effects,
and I am really confused how this concept may work?  Did you have something
in particular as an outline?


Randy,  in one of your notes you also commented on Pheasants Forever.
Interesting comment.  But your mixing institutions.  PF is a private
organization,  based on win/win concepts.  What this task force would
attempt to do,(assuming it does anything)  is to rule by fiat. There is no
win/win when the rules are mandated by a disinterested 3rd party.  It's the
carrot and stick argument.  In this case  the idea is talk about a carrot...
but probably beat with a stick.

Charles

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