On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 18:19:21 EDT, Chris Slade <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>What does 'significant' mean in this context? Significant for the bees or
>for the customer?


The cat is out of the bag with published data on the severity of the self contamination problem in  
brood comb in the USA. 

My take on this statement about honey  is, it could be a smoke screen and PR attempt to start 
fending off the coming storm. Not if but when the public discovers the widespread use of 
insecticides in beehives across our country, the backlash will be severe IMO. 

So far our leading beekeeper organizations like ABF are more part of the problem then the 
solution. They are in complete denial and don't seem to see the fragility of public sentiment when 
its comes to chemicals and food production. 

The actual risk to humans will be a moot point. For example how would you like to be selling 
tomatoes this week in the USA (massive sallomenlla scare)? 

I'm waiting to see some leadership in our industry and someone step up to the plate and ask for 
delisting of Apistan and Checkmite and condeming the widespread use of shop rags. But alas its 
easier to point to Bayer or the mysterious CCD then deal with the facts at hand and they are not 
pretty. 

Further collateral damage may await the cosmetic industry also as beeswax produced in this 
country may be suspect. Beeswax enjoys a very "green" image right now as a raw ingredient in a 
variety of personal care products. Companies like Burts Bees and Aveda might be running for 
cover when the media picks up on the self contamination issue. 

Frankly I don't see how they can bury this. Some final reports on CCD will be out soon I suspect, 
and its likely that the data on self contamination could make it into a NY Times article or similar 
major media. Imagine if the findings also implicate the self contaminates as a contributing cause 
of CCD? Wow beekeepers helped cause CCD, a newsworthy story as sensational as CCD itself.  The 
facts too assuredly will be misquoted and of course replicated within minutes by 1000's of zombie 
cut and paste journalists on web pages and blogs around the world. 

The public is very tuned into the concept of chems or meds in meat, poultry, dairy and fruit and 
veggies. The next level is when they figure out that a good share of honey and beeswax produced 
in the country is from industrial like operations with frequent inputs of insecticides and Tylan etc. 

Yum how about some trace comaphous in Lil  Johnny's peanut butter and honey sandwich ? 
 

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