Ok Bob, I'll take the bait. It's snowing here and I have some time. :-)

Yes, there are lots of opinions on the internet. And there's more than enough folly to go around.

Yes, all my untreated bees are now dead. But that's not their entire history. They survived without treatment, without adding queens/package/bulk bees, etc., and without feeding sugar or pollen subs for almost a decade not counting the last couple of years! And they were healthy and productive(double the state average) during that time.

During that same timeframe, the commercial guys here, have had three major collapses while treating almost continuously. Extensive feeding, requeening and the use of replacement packages has been required to keep them going.

My hives were able to more than survive the mites and other historically common pests. But they didn't survive this new virus soup  introduced here by those same commercial beekeepers. And looking at the loads of empty equipment left in their beeyards, I suspect their bees are having a bit of trouble. 

Allen and I are on opposite ends of the beekeeping spectrum. Yet, we both ended up with no hives. So, I ask you, Bob which path is more foolish? In your previous post you answered this question. But I have an answer you might not suspect. 

Neither path is more foolish, concerning Allen and my hive loses, than the other. Treating or not treating simply has no effect on bee viruses. Now, I'll bet there are more than just a few who are setting the caldron up out behind the barn and are planning on doing a little mixing and spraying and testing. :-) 

But there is one path that's much more foolish concerning long term honey bee health, human health, hive product and environmental safety, than the other. And traveling that path leads to the pesticide treadmill, sick bees and probably sick beekeepers as well. That's why many of today's leading researchers suggest it's way past time to get off that treatment path and let the bees sort things out.

Dennis

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