>I suggest you use only approved formulas in the approved manner. Some chemicals may remain in the hive for decades. In talking with various beekeepers, I have found that many of them disregard the labeling or try concoctions of their own.

This is good advise and if we all followed it there would be virtually no commercial beekeeping industry today IMHO. After the failure of fluvalinate and coumophos we went a number of years of no "approved" effective treatment for varroa. Beekeepers by necessity searched the globe for effective controls with little help from the USDA or university scientists. The pace of official approval is glacially slow and I do understand the rational for the need for scientific testing. In an emergency immediate action is called for (as we are painfully aware these days with coronavirus) and the best minds must be able to make the best current choices while continuing to seek long term viable options.

I remember well a conversation I had with the main man at Pete's former lab , now retired, about this very problem. I asked if he could do trials on the home brew formulas that we were using and see, 1 if they were effective and 2 if they were dangerous to bees, honey, or beekeepers. He had a USDA permit to do off label trials and was evaluating formic acid at the time. I was already using the Canadian and European methods of formic with some success. He told me to e-mail our formulas. I carefully did and never heard another word. I asked many notable scientists that were scolding us for trying to keep our bees alive what we should do. The answer, you guessed  it, "use only approved formulas in the approved manner" My reply, even if they don't work?

Don't get me wrong. I know the problem from both sides. Even today most of the innovative approaches are being taken by smart careful and dedicated beekeepers. Notably on this list. A lot of not so smart beekeepers are doing real harm and doing dangerous and unethical things. We need to police ourselves and communicate to all concerned the best way ahead and we still need help.

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA  

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