Some US honey packers are revoking internal pesticide tolerance limits for Amitraz in USA produced honey under the following rationale. 

All registered uses of Amitraz in beehives have been cancelled and therefore, the Agency determined that the tolerances on honey and honeycomb are no longer needed. 

http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2007-09-19-E7-18508

"EPA's general practice is to revoke tolerances for residues of
pesticide active ingredients on crops for which FIFRA registrations no
longer exist and on which the pesticide may therefore no longer be used
in the United States. EPA has historically been concerned that
retention of tolerances that are not necessary to cover residues in or
on legally treated foods may encourage misuse of pesticides within the
United States." 

How bizarre is this situation? The packers know its an illegal treatment and based on some strange EPA logic feel no incentive to even look for Amitraz in honey now.  With this twisted logic some beekeepers and packers could draw the conclusion that perhaps the industry would be better off if Amitraz stays illegal. 

To take this logic one step further a beekeeper who wanted to use a homemade mite treatment would just need to make sure the chemicals have no EPA registered use on bees/honey and then can rest assured that no one downstream will be looking!!!!

Digging further into EPA rules their appeared to be a regulation requiring limits for chemicals legal in other countries. So if Amitraz is legal in Canada for example then incoming shipments must be tested for a tolerance level.  

Spock this is illogical!

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