Hello Dee and All,

I see a different future but respect your opinion.

There is not a single beekeeper  which thought  putting a pesticide strip in
a beehive was something they wanted to do but were  forced to do to stay in
business. My researcher friends  do not see the scenario playing out as you
predict. We see the SMR and Russian line as the answer but (as with 4.9
foundation)  both need proven beyound a shadow of a doubt.

I also see plastic foundation as the way  to remove contaminated wax from
hives and could easily be done in short order. Simply scrape the wax and
give the plastic back to be redrawn. Feed until drawn out.  4-5 months time
plus feed.  Many of us switched to plastic at the same time we started using
Apistan for the very reason of wax contamination but I have never seen the
need to replace ANY  brood comb so far.

I see harder times for the U.S. honey producer if he does not find a direct
market for his or her honey. The U.S. honey industry is being kept alive
like the  U.S. steel industry was. Eventually the  world  market will crush
the  wholesale honey business in the U.S..  There ALWAYS  has been a market
for all the drums of honey you can produce in the U.S. *as long as you can
afford to sell under the price of the foreign competition*! Facts are facts.
 FACT:
Every packer in the U.S. would buy U.S. honey first if priced BELOW the
price he could buy foreign honey.  Wholesale honey prices are up today but
wholesale honey prices are not going to stay up in a world  market.
Simply never has happened and is not going to happen.

I see better times for the pollination business but  beekeepers are going to
have to figure their  costs  of providing the hive  for pollination and then
add a reasonable profit . Tell the growers to take the deal or leave it.
Growers have set pollination fees  for too long. Does any other business
provide a service without a reasonable profit ? Many Midwest beekeepers have
said they have only broke even or in fact lost money pollinating Almonds in
California. Are not the growers many times setting the price for pollination
"take it or leave it"?

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison