On Mon, 24 Aug 1998, Andy Nachbaur wrote:
 
> >Subject: Re: Formic acid gel
> >>Article from USDA:    Anybody have any comments on this?
>
> Hi fellow bee keepers and friends,
> Why sure I gots a few comments to share with you, sure glad I was asked.<G>
>
> >>Formic Acid Gel Protects Bees and People
>
> The Good, the Bad, or Ugly?
>
> Its good to have another chemical tool to help fight bee pests.
> Its good that all beekeepers may be able to use this tool.
> Its good that we may have this tool sooner then later.
 
> Its very bad that the USDA is handling the promotion of this product.
 
 Hello Andy and Beekeeping Friends,
  This subject gets me off the wall in a big way.I'm very busy with the
bees and honey now, but all beekeepers must turn on some gray matter right
now!
 Ask youself why the USDA want us to use chemicals. The solution is
genetics for a long term fix.Anything else is shoveling you know what
against the tide. The problem would go away and so would the chemical
money.
 The release of the USDA stock a few years ago was a genetic disaster from
the get go.I have had the oppertunity to talk face to face with a
Univerity Phd geneticis about the way the stock was handled.It was going
to fail and it did.We need to cut loose some of our best brain power in
the world on this problem and get it done.The US does not have a corner on
the knowlege market.
 
 
>How ugly and how long until a product with only an 84% effective kill rate
> under the best conditions will produce resistant mites? Will it be too bad
> if the remaining 16% mites cause hives to die from PMS? Or are they now
> calling it MLC, (mid-life crisis)?
 
 A very good point. 100% is the only way to beat the mite. I know that
first hand. I lost 80 out of 180 last year.Some hives that I lost in Feb ,
had a mite count of 1 to 2 % in the fall. Sept.
 
>  Wonder how the rest of the world that has
> over 1,000,000 acres of almonds does it with no honey bees or are we to
> believe that they have healthy robust feral populations that do the job?
> Ask the USDA almond pollination experts if you want a surprise.
 
  This is a surprise that I would like to see here.
 
> Oh my gosh is this not the same USDA BS that applied the final solution to
> bees with T mites just a few years back and killed thousands of hives and
> destroyed the lives of many beekeepers big and small? I think they did
> develop some new final solutions for bee problems then, a better livings
> for beekeeper through chemistry and pesticides or is it a slow death?
>
 Stop , look and listen. You don't need gray hair like Andy and I to
figure out what is really going on for our supposed good.This is not an
radical idea or line of thinking.Its facts that we can all see.We do need
to let the USDA know what we want. Not BS.We may need to shake up the ones
that are suppose to be looking out for are good , because we elected them
to do just that, not get money from the chemical industry for re-election.
 This is not a political post. It is what we need to do if we really want
some change for our good.The mite problem is complex. It has been studied
for some time now and we know a lot about the mites biology.Plenty of
information has been gathered by different researchers. Now its time to
breed around the mite. Nature has the answer , we just need to know where
to look. Letting the Fox watch the chicken coop is not smart
business.Letting tthe USDA do the beeding program by it self is doing just
that.
 
 Happy Beekeeping ( Treat for mites now, not later)
 
 Best Regards
 Roy