Dee Lusby Said:

> Maybe inspectors need to concentrate on newbees and professionals left
alone

All due respect to Dee, but sometimes it is the for-profit groups that pose
the most risk to all concerned.  It is often the desire to "cut corners" in
this context that results in real threats to the general public.  I have
seen "professionals" employ practices that make me shudder, like copper
napthenate inside and outside hive parts (nothin' like "pure" honey!).  I
recently had an experience with a "professional" supplier who sold me a nuc
infested with small hive beetles, then treated me like dirt when I asked for
replacement.  He even told me that he was not going to inspect the remainder
of his nucs for such infestation, despite the fact that some of these nucs
were doubtless headed across the state border.  If anyone would like the
grubby details, email me off list.

> Or maybe there should be a hotline for reporting such irregularities by
> beekeeper!

I'm only a hobby/sideliner, but I think that we all must be careful that we
don't invite too much government into our lives, professional or no.  All
these things come at a cost.

Michael's experience is unfortunate, but I would suspect that there are
already mechanisms in place to deal with such matters.  A concerned letter
to the State Bee Inspector would be a good start.  If that doesn't get him
anywhere, try a letter to the NY Dept. of Agriculture, and follow it with an
open letter to the editor in a prominent local newspaper.  These often get a
LOT of attention, and place the forum where it has real effect - in the
public's eye.  My 40 odd years of life experience tell me that it is almost
always best to deal with a problem in as dignified and civil manner as
possible.

Regards,

Todd

Finally enjoying decent weather in central Vermont, the epicenter of the
universe (at least to me)...

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