Hi all
Obviously, the risk to the beekeeper, the bees and the consumer is small when we are talking about oxalic acid. But the point of label laws is to protect people from egregious misapplication of chemicals. Honey of course is a food product and adequate consideration must be given to its purity and wholesomeness. 

Anyone can point to situations where the laws are simply overkill. I was required to obtain a pesticide license in connection with my job at the University. We were advised against making any "off label" recommendations. This would include obvious things like using sheep dip on bee hives, but also less obvious things. 

We were told not to advise or use household chemicals as insecticides such as using soap solutions against plant pests. This is dumb on the face of it, but the point is that anything labeled as a pesticide is tested and approved for that use. Anything not so labeled has the potential for unforeseen harm.  Label laws apply to things that are not even labeled as pesticides.

Following label laws is common sense. Once you get the idea in your head that rules don't apply to you, you become an irresponsible member of the community, even if you don't actually hurt someone. This is doubly important if you are producing food for other people. We are lucky people view honey as a wholesome natural product. A good reputation is hard won but easily lost.

PLB

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