>
> For that reason, the continuation of commercial operations that
> artificially maintain, or import 'dirty' bees (in the sense of unadapted to
>  the local
> disease environment) is unfair to those beekeepers who are  affected.  And
> to the local wild populations that belong, if to anyone, to  all of us.
> And, done on a large scale (as currently happens in most of the
>  'developed'
> world) the result is a permanent state of health crisis.  This  is
> unsustainable, and unnecessary.
>

All in the eye of the beholder. What is good for the small beekeeper may not
be for a commercial operation. To unfairly stigmatize commercial operations
is, unfortunately, not new on this list.

Maybe the bees that someone home grows is not that good for pollination,
honey production and is meaner than a junk yard dog but handles pests just
great. Who then is raising "dirty' Bees.

Even worse, what about those of us who are hobby beekeepers raising our own
and have organic folk around that harbor Varroa and regularly lose bees but
do it organically.

We are all in the same boat and should be helping each other rather than
throw stones.

BTW, the whole USA fits "import "dirty bees" since the honeybee displaced
the native bee population.

And I do grow my own so I fully agree with doing just that. But that is my
decision. Plus, I have found that I do need to treat for Varroa no matter
how organic I have tried to be.

I continually am amazed that organically grown horses and cows can be
treated with non-organic practices if they come down with problems. Might it
be the investment represented by that horse or cow? Why then voice concern
when a commercial beekeeping operation with an even greater investment does
the same?

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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