>Does anybody else think it is crazy that we have to >pay Zoecon $6 for 4 plastic strips that probably have a cost of production >of $.02 ea and that these people have been given a monoply with no >competition, while our university professors and beekeeping extension >personnel wring their hands and tell us over and over that we must pay all >this money to this giant pharmaceutical company. Folks, there is something >wrong with this picture, the bee disease treatment apparatus in the US is >broken and our college professors and extension apiculturists are not doing >anything to fix it. >Mark Jensen-Double J Apiaries Mark - I agree whole-heartedly. You make some very valid points. I have always wondered why the European Baybarol Strips can't be imported and used in the US. Obviously, they have already under- gone testing in Europe and been approved. (Of course they are manufactured by Bayer pharmaceutical - another gaint). But at least there would be some competition for Zoecon and maybe the com- petition would help reduce prices. This is one of the "real questions" that you have to ask yourself.... Why isn't the Bayer product available to be used in the US?? Why aren't the universities working on alternate chemical solutions...why is it left up to the fox thats guarding the hen house? BusyKnight [log in to unmask] ICBM INcode:N:32.45'W:96.45' Dallas, Republic of Texas Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one. - Voltaire