Bob said
"With my contacts one would think I would posses a vast knowledge of off
label use of miticides registered for honey bees."


I would think that people who cheat on their spouse or use off treatments are not going to share that kind of info with anyone.  In MN and SODAK where a few years ago enforcement actions were common against beeks no one can find the reports at the State Dept of Ag without a case file. Presumably this is done to shield the offenders. 

The massive use of off label treatments has flown below the radar of the public for over a decade. I suspect as more papers come out from M Frazier and others the evidence will mount although the names will be protected for privacy. It won't be long and the average health concious consumer will be asking questions of beekeepers like they do at farmers markets about produce etc. 

From what I'm hearing the bottled sales are flat or slightly declining already for the big packers as the eat local movement gains steam. Once the dirty secret of illegal use of miticides becomes widely known that should further erode the big packers share of honey shelves. Even if the useage stops the data and papers will live on for another decade online. 

Maybe that will finally push ABF and AHPA and other state organizations to call for the delisting of Checkmite and urge their members to clean up their acts. 

As far as massive bee losses are concerned through various channels there is plenty of evidence that the most "visible" and vocal losers of hives are all part of the off label bunch of commercial beeks.  It only makes sense that the chemicals intentionally dumped into a hive once or twice a season are going to have some affect on the health of a hive short term or long term. To imply that somehow microgram traces of Ag chems are the real source of losses is laughable at best and disingenuous at worst when the accusers are silently breaking the law and risking their own operation. 

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