Dee Lusby wrote:

> http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml

I read it and cannot see much of anything described in your post. Truth 
is, RFID tags might be voluntarily used by commercial beekeepers for a 
variety of reasons, all beneficial for the beekeeper. Many large 
companies are using the tags to track inventory. A beekeeper would know 
everything about the colony with the tags and a reader.

The tags were mandated for cows, because of mad cow disease (which is 
still around. A case was found in Florida recently). As I recall, it was 
Congress that was behind that mandate.

As an aside, I would think the organic movement would be lauding the 
USDA and want for it to be mandatory for beekeepers in order to separate 
organic from non-organic hives and maintain the purity of the movement. 
Why the desire to fight it and mask the colony's origin?

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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