Jerry :
 
I really liked your posting. With federal and university research being cut
up here in Canada, and with no interest from major chemical companies
to get involved in a 'specialty crop' like honey (especially when it
involves cheap, readily available control products such as essential oils),
beekeepers should continue to experiment.  Restricting these experiments
so as they do not comprimise applicator and product safety is an important
consideration.  I agree that beekeepers need to think about experimental
design before actually testing alternative management techniques.  Your
posting, as well as the Bee Culture article had some very good ideas on
how experimental design problems can be addressed.  I do not
think beekeepers have the time and training to do all the bee research
themselves.  There is some work that requires the attention of professional
bee researchers and the facilities they work out of.  Nonetheless, I look
forward to a continuing discussion of beekeeper-directed research on
BEE-L, and hope that good tactics for dealing with the mite emerge from
it.
 
Cheers,
Adony
 
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*** Adony Melathopoulos ****************
***** Center for Pest Management *******
******** Simon Fraser University *******
*********** Burnaby, British Coumbia ***
************** CANADA ******************
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'If men had wings and bore black feathers,
 few of them would be clever enough to be crows'
 
- Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, mid-1800's
 
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